


Ever After High: The Legend of Zelda

by Storycollector



Series: Saga of the Wor(l)ds [1]
Category: Ever After High
Genre: Comfort, Drama, Family, Gen, Hurt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-13
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-04-15 10:15:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 34,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4602954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storycollector/pseuds/Storycollector
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Land of Ever After, a land where the characters of fairy tales, nursery rhymes and folk tales live together in harmony. Until one day a teenage girl refuses to accept the role she was born for. Royals and Rebels alike begin to question their lives and no one is quite sure where this is going to lead. </p><p>In these days a stranger appears. It's a small child that has nothing better to do than begin to stick its little nose into other people's business. However no one knows that her coming to the Land of Ever After means that more changes are approaching. The stories are never going to be the same again. </p><p>(Alternate Universe where the Grimms aren't descendants of the authors Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm but ages old beings known as Quills.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Memory 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an Alternate Universe version of the Ever After High world, plot and characters. I began forming this story when there wasn't much material to refer to so I had to use my imagination to fill a lot of gaps. Of course some of my theories differ greatly from the webisodes and books but I still have fun with my version of EAH and don't want to stop developing it just because it isn't canon.

When I was nine, two of my dream mentors, madame Jane and madame Charlotte, took me to see the Lady of the Lake. 

I have always had very vivid dreams. When I closed my eyes I was able to astral travel the world or witness famous stories in my lucid dreams. Everything seemed so real. The smells, the touch, even the taste. But it wasn’t. It was just my mind playing games and showing images. It was still wonderful, at day I was a plain girl but at night I was the hero visiting places no one else could see. From mystical Atlantis to Dickensonian London I saw them all. Or at least those I learned about, because there were so many stories to explore. From books to movies to music to comics to jokes. 

For some reasons there were always three persons that manifested almost always. I figured those were parts of my own subconciousness but it was cool to be able to talk to them. One was an old Chinese man dressed as a scholar but with vast knowledge of martial arts. This dreamy kung-fu master from my imagination wanted to be called sifu Wu. Then there were two women who offered advices and showed me some dream tricks as I called it. 

„It’s time we showed you mirror magic,” said Charlotte as I entered a beautiful meadow with many flowers and a mushroom circle where some pixies played tag. The air was filled with sweet dew of forest strawberries and spring flowers. I got excited as always when they wanted to show me something new. “First we start at the legend of king Arthur. We are going to meet the Lady of the Lake,” spoke Jane in her purple medieval dress. 

Mirror magic. It was incredible what could be done with a bit of reflective surface. And the many things that could serve as a mirror. You could work with glass shards, polished black surfaces that doubled as scrying mirrors, metal tablets or even with bowl of water.  
Even greater deeds could be done when the bowl was a whole lake inhabited by a magical creature of uncertain demonic or godly origin. 

Lady was gorgeous. If the hair of my mentors was flowy, hers was even more so. The strands being colored different shades of blue, white, green and everything in between. It was also constantly moving like a waterfall, falling from her head and ending in foam like curls at her feet. “Amazing,” I whispered, unaware I opened my mouth. The specter smiled kindly: “Do you like my hair?”

I jerked my head and hesitantly stopped looking at the specs of light jumping and dancing on her water like hair. The Lake lady came closer and leaned to my face. “You have unusually bright eyes, little one. Let’s give them more wonders to see,” she said as she was straightening again, „Today you will help me build a new Excalibur.“ “Really? That’s awesome!” The women laughed at my childish excitement, it didn’t bother me. I got to be a part of a story. A very well known story and my part is to help the mighty and mysterious water spirit help create one of the most powerful swords.  Huzzah!

The next thing I remember is us all standing on a cliff, watching the majestic broad water body. At the tip of the cliff I saw a place with almost no grass, there were several lines. One for runes, one for latin and some other alphabets I didn’t know either at all or only scarcely. One line was full of stones of different colours, every stone had its place and their polished surface reflected the small poofy clouds above us.    
Next to the stones and letters lay a clay tablet with a carved sketch of a sword. The same image but with colors showed on the lake’s surface. The Lady showed me that by touching certain letters or stones I could enlarge, move or otherwise change the picture sword floating on the waves. She let me add some spikes to the cross guard and gems to the hilt before it was time for her to add some finishing touches. 

Then she transformed herself into a puddle and jumped like fountain into the lake and swam towards a big wall of bushes. Soon something rustled in the bushes and out came a tired knight in gilded armor and a purple cape embroidered with gold thread. “Welcome, king Arthur, I know why you came,” said Lady of the lake unsurprised by the figure standing in front of her. 

“Now,” my teachers whispered and I pressed a lapis lazuli, as I did that the water began to boil and bubble and a mighty looking sword has slowly arisen from the water. It was the picture I saw on the water, only it was a fully materialized weapon now.  
“Here I present thee the Excalibur, the mightiest weapon anyone has ever seen. Wield it wisely.” 

The knight (now I knew it was king Arthur) gaped in awe as the sword showed itself, then flew gracefully into his hand. Arthur made a few swings testing Excalibur’s weight, kneeling in front of Lady afterwards.


	2. Arrival

Day 1

Once upon a time, they began, as they saw her but soon the voices faded into incoherent muttering. The faceless commentators of the happenings were at loss of words. They have encountered someone they didn’t know. That was unusual, they were the narrators, they knew almost everything. Knew about a character’s past, could read their thoughts. And now this person appears out of nowhere. Its mind shrouded in mystery. Ugh, you don’t make our job easy, girl.

For it was a girl, little girl, a nursery rhyme they say at this side of the universe. One moment the place was empty, a second later a girl in a blue hoodie and orange shorts stood there. She had short bright red hair and when she looked around the pair of narrators saw that she had mismatched eyes – one was blue and the other one was green.

Clearly she looked lost and didn’t know where to go so she shrugged mentally and just went in the direction her nose was pointing. After a while she arrived in a village with a single broad main street filled with cafes and restaurants, boutiques and jewel shops. The main street branching into many smaller streets with small, cozy houses. She stopped in front of a tea shop and dreamily looked at the cakes displayed in the window. She licked her lips. That was a big advantage for her being able to eat in her dreams but the cakes and pies will have to wait for now, it’s exploration time. 

Oh, the many things she discovered. A big castle full of people standing on a hill near the village but far enough to have large courtyard, well-tended gardens, some playgrounds for several sports and a place that started as a park and was slowly becoming a forest the longer one went from the castle. There was even a huge lake. The place was warm and bright. At once she felt sleepy so she looked for a place to nap. There. In one corner of the forest stood an arbor. The stranger lay down on a wooden bench and fell asleep quickly. The girl liked it there, she felt that it was a safe place for children.


	3. Daisy for the innocent intruder

Day 2

She woke up but didn’t want to open her eyes yet. She enjoyed the calmness of rustling leaves and a song. The birds were singing which wasn’t surprising but the birds were joined by several female voices and that was slightly unusual. What’s more the birds and women (or girls, the voices sounded high and youthful) sounded as if they were singing in a perfect harmony. The girl opened finally her eyes and witnessed a group of beautiful, elegantly dressed girls singing and dancing on the grass. One held few starlings on each of her arm, two were holding each other’s hands, a swarm of doves circling around them and one whistled to a nest of baby jays. The parents standing on a nearby twig and singing back at the maiden, helping their offspring find the right tone. 

The child was amazed but didn’t want to clap or say something for it was afraid it would scare the feathered and human singers, so it stayed silent. When the concert ended the little girl once again ventured through the forest. It arrived at one end of the wood where the trees made place to lush meadows where few lazy cows rested. The meadows were crossed by several brooks that grouped to few sparkling, rushing rivers. Petite stone bridges crossed the brilliant streams leading a sandy path towards big fields of corn and wheat. Further away the little girl could see a giant green pillar, which ended in a cloud. When she arrived at the foot of the green monstrosity she saw that it was a plant, her guess being that it may be a kind of vegetable but she wasn’t sure. She has once seen a gigantic tree, its branches so massive their held entire worlds. Snake-like reptiles wriggling among its roots, squirrels the size of saber-toothed tigers sprinted up and down its trunk. This one was just quietly standing in the landscape, no fascinating fauna for miles around. Not even a werewolf. That was disappointing.

That being said her gaze shifted to the fields, where the golden grain resembled a skirt with a scarlet hem woven from numerous poppy plants. The mixture of those two colors and the sight of the ladies singing with the birds gave our little hero an idea. She plucked the poppies. Then she will return to the meadow with the herd of cows where pretty daisies grew. She will make herself a nice flower crown. 

ᴥ

On the edge of the village a man appeared. The narrators chatted cheerfully again, his arrival was welcome. They knew him for years, even though his thoughts, too, were hidden for them. He made few steps but stopped shortly after. Something felt different. As if the air itself changed, yet he didn’t know why. He took out his pocket watch but didn’t look at it at all, it was to hide that he was thinking about the shift in atmosphere and what could have caused it. There have been many unforeseen events lately and many were quite uncomfortable for him. He closed the watch with greater force then he intended to and headed to the school. 

ᴥ

Back on the enchanted meadow the small girl finished her flower crown and put it on her head. It looked quite nice, she decided and nodded to herself. The daisy as a sign of innocence for she surely meant no harm. Sometimes she liked to pull pranks on others and was rude to people, usually those that shouted too much or were hurting other children but this place was peaceful and so she will be too. Peaceful and calm. The poppy for…she couldn’t remember right now but she was sure that it was the right choice. Maybe because of the colors. Red and white. Yes, that’s it. It’s the colors. They match perfectly.

After her flowery jewel was ready she decided to go to the village. The child thought about the village and then it stood there. Just like that. That was her way of getting into dreams and how she leapt from one into another. A quick thought and she was wherever she wanted to be. However this time she felt a pang of pain in the back of her head. That was confusing. She was in a dream, she wasn’t supposed to feel pain. The child shrugged and went through the village without looking for anything specific. Maybe she could ask someone where she is and what can be done here because the aimless strolling is bound to get boring sooner or later.

As soon as she finished that thought something happened. In front of a clothes shop stood three girls. One with cat-like features, one was eating an apple (had apple earrings and apple-themed handbag) and the last one wore a hybrid of sunglasses and crown. It looked weirdly fabulous. Suddenly one of the girls, the one with cat ears, fainted but the tanned girl caught her so she didn’t hurt herself. However this wasn’t a normal fainting, her body parts were jerking and twitching and she made unintelligible screeching noises. All in all the girl did not respond to her friends nor the strangers that started to gather around her.

The strange child pushed through the growing crowd. Some laughed, some looked nervous or smirked dismissively and there were people who looked positively terrified. One look at the shaking girl and the child remembered what to do. The small girl took off her hoodie and rolled it into a bundle, which she placed under the cat girl’s head. “Watch time,” she said to no one particularly but the two girls nearby seemed to understand as they took some devices to keep eye on how much time passed. Meanwhile the newcomer loosened some buttons on the girl’s blouse-dress-thing so the cat girl could breath more easily. 

“Has this ever happened before,” she asked the other girls but they looked confused at each other and only shrugged. It can’t be helped then. “Someone call a doctor.” She hoped that they do have doctors or some kind of medics in this place at all. “I’ll fetch help,” said the blonde apple enthusiast. The fashionista stayed with the little newcomer. 

Soon the doctors arrived and took the poor girl into the Village of Book End hospital. She was already awake as they came but they decided that she needs to be examined and a long rest. Some people thought it’s just a hoax for the cat girl was known as a trickster but polite words of the blonde girl and a “Shut up, you morons!” matter-of-factly yelled by the foreign kid soon sent all the observers to do what they were doing before. 

“That was amazing,” said the brunette with rose and thorn themed clothing. “Was it? Heh, if you say so…,” the kid made a sheepish face. It seems I made a good impression, which was what I wanted, no? Well, yes. It just happened so suddenly, she had no time to think if they will even listen to her. But all went well.   
Really well. She was even invited to a cupcake in one of those cafes. This one had flying teapots and cups, on the walls hung clocks that went too quickly, backwards or both at once. It was the Mad Hatter’s Tea Shoppe and Haberdashery. 

The blonde girl introduced herself as Apple White and her crown-sunglasses-hybrid wearing friend as Briar Beauty. “This sounds familiar,” commented the girl on their names. Apple laughed: “Haha, you see I’m the daughter of Snow White and Briar is the next Sleeping Beauty.” So THAT’s why it sounded so familiar! “I SEE! I’m in the world of fairy tales,” exclaimed the girl glowing. Right, and that’s also a reason why she felt so peaceful here. Dreams about fairy tales were always the calmest, probably because she heard every fairy tale about hundred times and the good knowledge of stories made sure she wouldn’t unexpectedly dream about a monster that would turn a sweet dream into a nightmare.   
So she learned Apple, Briar and also Madeline and her dad the Hatters. Maddie told her that she and the cat girl came from the Wonderland and so they are mad. They were strange but their strangeness was for the little visitor very endearing. 

“Here it is, miladies. It’s on the house.” The news about the stranger helping Kitty Cheshire spread fast and the inhabitants of Wonderland didn’t hesitate to show their gratitude. Mad Hatter’s gratitude took the form of a tray full of cupcakes and a delicious tea for everyone. Akasha, she finally told them her name, took one of the tasty mini cakes. “This stuff is terrific.” “You mean tea-rific,” chuckled Maddie. “Ok,” uttered Akasha surprised and continued eating. Oh right, dreamspeak. Some of the dreams, she had, featured people who used strange slang that was sometimes hard to understand but in general fit the setting well. Once or twice she even dreamt about foreign lands where she couldn’t understand a word. 

“So what story do you belong in,” asked Apple when reached for a second cupcake. “None,” laconic but true. The princess blinked: “How do you mean none? Everyone here belongs to a story.” Akasha simply shrugged, busy with chewing the sweet pastry. “You don’t have to feel ashamed if you are a commoner. I understand that everyone can’t be a royal,” urged the princess but she got no satisfying answer. Apple shivered. Did the rebel epidemic spread to the elementary and nursery rhyme school, too? That was a terrifying thought, if more people were about to dismiss their destined fates what is going to happen to this world?

Akasha swallowed her last bite and said: “Actually I’m from the real world.” She wouldn’t normally say it. Not openly anyway, but the fairy tales seemed to be somewhat aware of their unrealness so she didn’t mind telling it as it is. “The real world?” “You are a reader?” “Are the people reading about Ever After High?” They all began talking at once. “Not so fast! Yes, I am a reader and yes, people read about fairy tales.” Though what is Ever After High I have no idea. 

ᴥ

The feeling of change didn’t cease, actually it was getting stronger. Now he was sure that something (or someone) somehow changed the realm. The thing was, he didn’t know how exactly will this change manifest and that was a stressful thought. The events of last few months shook with his carefully built system that there were moments he caught himself wondering if it isn’t falling apart already. He chased away those blasphemous theories and continued on his way to the big castle where his office was. There. He felt it again. This time he was hundred percent positive the feeling came from Mad Hatter’s Tea Shoppe and Haberdashery. He inspected the door and shop window for a while ready to go in and find the troublemaker. Whatever it is. Clink, clink. His mirrorphone ringed. Baba Yaga, told the display. The school needs its headmaster immediately. 

ᴥ

Akasha stopped eating and gazed into the room for a minute or two. The girl was until now enjoying one cupcake after another that the sudden break in wolfing down the pastries was really shocking. Apple and Briar looked a bit worried. Both princesses looked at the door but no one came in. The girl tilted her head questioningly then returned to her snack as if nothing happened. 

The royals didn’t know what went through her head. The girl experienced a very well known emotion, she expected that sensation sooner but it came at least. That’s how she felt when one of her dream mentors was around. They are coming for me. Wu, Jane, Charlotte. I don’t care, all are great and one has fun with them. And one of them is right here. Behind the door. 

But no one came. The sensation was slowly disappearing. Akasha felt a slight sting in one eye but few blinks of the eye were enough to dissolve that uncomfortable feeling. It’s not time yet. Never mind. They will come. They see I have fun with new friends and don’t want to disturb me. They are parts of my mind after all…

“Are you alright?” “Everything’s peachy. Really.” Then the girl contemplated about her situation: “Although there is one thing.” She looked at the princesses in a slightly worried way: “Golden Delicious, I don’t have a place to stay.”


	4. Surprise! Surprise!

Day 3 /2

Akasha spent that night at Hatters’. It was clear she couldn’t stay homeless after she undertook the action of helping one of their comrades. She liked the wonderlandiful tea shop. Her favourites being the portals to stars and other worlds and she laughed every time someone got scared by the butterfly that knew how to enlarge its head. Of course, she couldn’t forget the perfect taste of the sandwiches and cupcakes. 

Fortunately for her the wonders of the Tea Shoppe and Haberdashery weren’t the only amusement she had. Apple came in to see how she was doing and where was the most beautiful princess there were her fans and when Apple told them about Akasha and her good deed they almost instantly became Akasha’s fans as well. Which usually meant treating that small girl to a free food. So this is what they mean, when they say they live in a fairy tale, flew through the child’s mind. 

Luckily Akasha was saved from food coma by a new face. It was a girl with wavy black and red hair and a painted heart over her left eye and cheek. She appeared to be trying hard to make a fearsome and dignified impression but to Akasha she looked slightly awkward and uncomfortable in a confused way. The little girl jerked her head and spotted something on the princess’ (or queen’s) shoulder. It’s a hedgehog! Such a cutie! Then she looked in the royal’s eyes as she began to talk: “I am the crown princess of Wonderland, Lizzie Hearts. I came to see the somewhat brave person, who saved my underling.” “Akasha was so quick and so decisive. She’s a born hero,” blurted Apple before Akasha had a chance to say anything. 

The child beamed: “Yosh, more praises. Keep ‘em coming! Joking, it was nothing, really.” Then she turned back to Lizzie: “You are the queen of hearts, right?” “Queen-to-be. My mother rules for now.” Eventhough it could be questioned how much she rules now that the land is infected, thought Lizzie but she didn’t say that out loud. 

“It’s exciting to meet all these fairy tale characters,” looked the girl around. “Akasha is a reader,” explained Apple. “Cheschire cat, Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts, Snow White, Cinderella, the huntsman. Do I get to see more of you guys?” “Sure. You can come with us visit Ever After High.”

“This name again. You talked about it yesterday, too. What is it?” “Oh, Ever After High is a school for the children of fairy tale characters so they can learn and train to be the best next queens and kings, heroes and villains, main characters and sidekicks.” “A school? That sounds more like a horror than a fairy tale,” mused Akasha, ”Ah well, even learning can be fun. I guess. Sometimes.” 

“Yeah, some days are pretty tough,” said dark haired girl with a spiky crown-like headband and clothes that reminded Akasha of gothic lolitas or similar styles. “Hi, I’m Raven Queen.” Originally she came to see Maddie but then she thought that it would be rude not to greet the famed savior of Kitty Apple was talking about the previous night. “Hi, story and role,” barked the girl joyfully. “Snow White,” sighed Raven. “Aaand?” nudged Apple. “Evil Queen,” Raven looked at a wall to avoid any eye contact. “Who isn’t very good at acting evil,” now it was Apple’s time to sigh. 

“Going goody two-shoes then,” tilted the strange girl her head. “I don’t know. I’m trying but my spells can be used only for doing evil,” said Raven. “Go true neutral. We have the most fun. You won’t regret sticking with me.” Then she changed topics. Akasha widened her eyes: “Wait. Did you say something about spells? Teach me something. Please. Please, please. Pleeeaaase.” Apple looked confused: “But you are a reader. Can readers learn magic?” “I don’t know about others but I sure can,” said Akasha confidently. Raven shrugged: “We can try.” At least we aren’t discussing me being evil or not anymore. The sorceress really didn’t felt like talking about her Evil Queen ancestry and her rebellion every day. 

ᴥ

It was time to face the culprit, who came to meddle with his world. He won’t let anyone wreak havoc in the school nor in the village nearby. He checked his pockets for few spell supplies he took with him. He must prepare to face the worst, he told himself last night and prepare he did. The worst would be in this case a confrontation with his brother. Or a new evil. However the fairy talers were lucky that most bad guys could be easily subsided. Notable exception being the last Evil Queen.   
So it must be Giles. He got out of the Vault of Lost tales. With someone’s help, he wouldn’t get out alone. The mad Hatter was mad enough to get to a place like this and free Giles. He must stop him before things get even uglier. No, he shouldn’t jump to conclusions. All he has are feelings, not proofs. On the other hand the only people that made him feel like that were either dead for centuries or imprisoned. And apart from Beatrice and Laura, he nor his brother have never met anyone like them. Ever.   
There was no mistaking it, the feeling was coming from behind that door. He clenched one of his fist, the other hand on the door knob. I must act now or it may be too late. Whoever is disturbing this world, will be stopped. 

ᴥ

THERE IT WAS AGAIN! Apple and Raven looked at each other, they noticed that the girl became somewhat jumpy and even more excited than before. Maybe it was all the sugar she wolfed down, the girl could give the Crumb cousins a run for their money. 

My dream teacher (dunno which one) is behind this door. He/she is coming right in! Gotta give him/her a properly warm welcome. Akasha ran to the person who was entering the tea shop right now. “Hello,” she closed her eyes and tightly glomped her target.

“You’re so soft,” purred she as she hugged the figure. She opened her eyes. Saw unfamiliar clothes. She looked up. “Oh fuck! Wrong person,” she shouted at the whole room as she jumped back, red with embarrassment. 

Milton Grimm gasped and tensed. To be honest, that was something he wasn’t prepared for. “Manners, young lady,” he managed to say weakly when he heard the swear word. Then he cleared his throat to hide his own surprise. He spotted a familiar face: “Miss White, can you explain it?” Apple looked just as puzzled as anyone else at the moment: “This is Akasha, she’s a reader. She came here yesterday and saved Kitty Cheschire when she had-. What did you say it was?” “Epileptic seizure most probably,” said Akasha, madly giggling, eyes fixed on Apple or Raven and shooting only stealthy glances at the unknown man. 

He was tall, large and had dark grey hair and mustache. Akasha was adamant she has never seen him before. I could swear it’s sifu Wu, Charlotte or Jane. Damn you, confusing dream. Never mind, strange things happen all the time. 

“Akasha. This is Milton Grimm, headmaster of Ever After High,” continued Apple with the introduction. “He cares mainly about the school itself, but in truth he guards the whole Land of Ever After.” “Oh, so this is the biiig boss of this place,” the word big emphasized by stretching out her arms like preparing for another wide hug. Milton frowned a bit. He certainly didn’t expect meeting a little girl making cheeky remarks about his work or his looks. 

Now the man looked as if he bit into something sour and nasty. It’s okay. Sifu Wu would also frown from time to time. And even Jane and Charlotte couldn’t help but feel exasperated with Akasha at few times. Maybe it had something to do with her K.O.ing Thibault Capulet once. But he was such a jerkass!

Meanwhile Grimm was pondering his discovery. So there really exists another being with powers similar to his and his brother’s. That was wonderful and troublesome at once and Milton was torn between those two opinions. It was true their talent was extremely rare. Akasha being only the fifth person with such abilities that he saw in his life that lasted no less than over two thousands of years. And he would lie, if he said that it didn’t make him somewhat happy that there is indeed a young Quill sharing his abilities, but the presence of such creature may disturb the balance set up in this world. There was something about the Quills that left nothing they approached in one way or another intact, he must know, he’s one of them. Therefore it was essential to take a stand and act according to it. 

First, he has to find out why the child came and what is its plan, if it has any. Secondly, either return the child to its parents in the real world or do, er, something. He can’t just let her run around, can he? No, certainly not. Though the girl may want to return on her own. The genres are interesting but sooner or later she will feel homesick. That’s what he hoped at least. He pondered banishing her into another genre for a second but he threw this thought aside almost immediately. Many genres were dangerous and if this is her first journey to a story world, it would be like sentencing her to death. One could get lost in woods or desserts, get attacked by wild animals (magical or nonmagical) and frankly, many genre villains weren’t any better than your average wild beast. However there was still one option that wouldn’t require any violence and he would have control over this new Quill. He will have to make her his apprentice. Why yes, that’s perfect. Even if she did return to the real world she will know where to come back and she will know some tips for survival.  
„Miss Akasha-„ He began but a hand shot out into the air and pointed a finger at him: „No. Akasha. Only Akasha. Or little plot bunny. That’s allowed as well.“ The child remained calm but the girls around them giggled a bit. 

Grimm raised an eyebrow and continued calmly: „Well. And you can call me headmaster Grimm or Mr. Grimm.“ „Ok, Mr. Grimm. I can do that, but I don’t have to, so I will call you Milton.“ This all was said calmly and sweetly but underneath was a certain firmness that is reserved for children, who are cute, know it and are able to use it to their full advantage. 

Grimm felt that he lost this short match before the fight even began. „Very well,“ growled the man slightly annoyed but quickly cleared his throat to hide his feelings. A trainer mustn’t show any weakness in front of the one he trains. 

I couldn’t help it! Sometimes it’s like certain people beg to be made fun of! Mr. Grimm seems like one of them. I’m glad this is only happening in my dream or I could get in trouble for my big mouth but alas I’m safe and I can do anything I want. No rules, no boundaries of the reality where one has to obey all sorts of authorities. 

Grimm took on his professional fatherly smile. No child, not even a rude little human, will bring him out of balance. “Akasha, I would be honored if you joined me on a tour through my school.” The girl widened her already big eyes, threw her arms in the air and cried: “Huzzah!” The matter was settled.


	5. Exploring the school

Day 3 2/2 

Accompanied by Apple they headed towards the school. They started at the hall where they showed Akasha the tall tree pillars. “I like it. Though it’s not as impressive as Yggdrasil.”, then they continued to Castleteria, Charmitorium and the Grimmnastics hall. “Grimmnastics? Yeah, P.E. classes can be quite nasty, yes.” Akasha was happy to deliver a commentary, whether it was wanted or not. Sometimes she managed to jump in the middle of Milton’s speech. 

During the tour they met quite a lot of students and staff, who sometimes stopped them to talk with Grimm or to take a look at Akasha. The inhabitants of Land of Ever After were vaguely aware of the fact that somewhere in the cosmos is a different world, where people read about their stories but to actually see a reader with their own eyes was like for a person from reality seeing an angel.

With Akasha chatting about how she knew about their tales the EverAfterians seemed to beam with pride that they are famous in a faraway place. Their destinies, even the less desirable ones, looked honorable, almost magnificent now that they knew they were appreciated. And if there was someone who wasn’t outright delighted whether about their fate or their fame in the world outside of stories, they at least appeared to think about what the girl said about the love for the certain fairy tale and stories in general.   
That made Milton feel almost glad she came. Her influence may convince rebellious students to change their sides. This miss Troublemaker may not be such a bother as she seemed at first, after all. Of course, Akasha didn’t know about the conflict that was brewing for the last few months and Milton intended to keep it that way. At least for some time before she either simply leaves or he wins her for his cause. 

The latter would be more efficient. If the child simply left, there would still be chance that she would return and cause some ruckus later. However if he persuades her to become his pupil, he may win a useful right-hand, maybe a future successor even. But that was a wild speculation. It may turn differently then he imagines. Though he wished she would agree, it would be the best for both sides. She would learn about the nature of her powers and the Land would gain another guardian, someone who would watch over the fairy tales after he himself will be long gone. 

Isn’t this the same thing he tells his students? To follow their destiny because it’s for the best of everyone. For them, for the story and for the land. One could say it’s the same, eventhough the Quills had no storybook to sign, they were born to serve the stories and the readers. Their destiny was unwritten, yet all the more demanding. Akasha will sooner or later learn that a Quill can’t live like an ordinary human. 

With the last thought he returned to the present time. Akasha was listening to Apple who was currently talking about Briar’s habit of falling asleep randomly through the day but that it’s compensated with an ability to eavesdrop on a far away conversation. Grimm cleared his throat and got the girl’s attention. 

“Say Akasha, would you like to stay with us for few days? I’m sure we will find a room for you.” “ That sounds-how was the word-hexciting.” “Very well. If you will be so kind to follow me to my office, I will tell my secretary to prepare the room for you,” smiled Milton. 

“But we didn’t see the library,” asked Apple astonished. That caused an immediate reaction of the little one. Ears perked, eyes were gleaming. “Not now, I’m sure. It was a long day for a wee reader,” was Milton’s saving throw, though it would go amiss if he didn’t back it up with: “But if you like books so much, I can show you the greatest treasure of Ever After High while we are waiting for your room to be cleaned. “ That worked. “The greatest treasure,” repeated Akasha shaking from excitement. Good, good. He mustn’t let her near the library, well, not the library itself but the Vault of Lost Tales that’s nearby. If she is able to sense his presence, she would find Giles in no time. 

So they parted. Apple apologized that she had some thronework and student-counceling to do and she saw the treasure already. Akasha followed the headmaster into his office. The opened doors revealed a large room full of paintings and books, stuffed heads hanging on the long, high walls, trophies displayed in glass cases, signed photos with famous fairy tale characters expressing their gratitude to Milton Grimm. All of this had its place in the humongous office. Akasha didn’t know what to look at, so many things were there to examine but then she noticed a one single leather bound tome in a glass case on a gilded pedestal right in the middle of the room. She ran to the case. The title said The Storybook of Legends. It must be an awfully important book if it is not to be touched, thought the girl, the locked case only increased her curiosity and want to open and read the secret book.

Behind her headmaster Grimm neared the gilded pedestal and caressed the cold glass as a lover’s cheek or a favorite pet: “This is the Storybook of Legends. The most important object in the whole land. This book ensures that the tales will be preserved for every new generation. If I didn’t wrote the stories down, the readers would forget them and they would cease to exist.” That sounded reasonable and it reminded Akasha of another dream she had years ago. “Can I read it?” asked the girl while poking the big lock. “Not now. Later maybe, if you will behave.” Akasha let out a disappointed yawn and she teleported to the grandiose chair behind a massive writing desk. It was pretty comfortable, she concluded as she shifted on the cushion. Her open disregard for the literary treasure, which the Storybook of Legends was, earned her a disapproving look from Milton. “I’m going to tell Mrs. Trollsworth to prepare the room for you. Don’t get too comfortable in there I will be back soon,” 

She was asleep. In his chair behind his desk and he hoped he could get done some more work today. That was the problem with unexpected surprises, they were often bothersome. He sighed with annoyance and went to fetch a blanket. He covered her little body huddled in his chair like a kitten. The moment she felt the soft fabric, she grabbed one corner of the blanket and held it close to her like a teddy bear. Grimm shook his head and left the room.

It was shortly before midnight when Milton went to check on Akasha. The kid was alright, lightly snoring on his throne-like chair. As he watched the child he caught a strange view in the corner of his eye. He turned to the window and got goose bumps. 

There was a strange apparition in the form of a woman’s silhouette moving like in a breeze. It stood there for few seconds, or minutes, the time seemed to stop, when they were looking at each other, until it suddenly disappeared.

He hoped it wasn’t any evil force trying to take over the land or the child. There was a handful of ghosts in the land, at least one housed right in the school’s Lost and crowned office but they were very quiet and spent they haunting days in some forsaken mill or cave. He put together a simple but effective protective spell, just in case. This will do for now.  
*It’s the replica. The students and stuff know that it’s fake but the empty case looked silly so the replica is kept there as a decoration. Kind of like in a museum, where you sometimes have displayed copies instead of the real deals.


	6. Those who dance on the paper

Day 4 Those, who dance on the paper

Milton Grimm’s thronechair was very comfortable. So comfortable Akasha spent the whole night sleeping on it. In fact, she was still asleep as the headmaster came the next morning to do his usual work and he had some appointments organized for today. Unfortunately that little girl was crossing his plans again. He scowled at the snoozing hindrance. 

After a while he decided to let the people in, the office was big enough so they will just move their discussion to the hearth, for example, and it wouldn’t be that bad if they woke the child up. She slept through the whole night and then some, for Homer’s sake, she couldn’t be that tired. 

First was Candy Witch, who came as the representative of Witchcraft and Sorcery Trade Union to discuss some imps selling fake magic wands. Miss Trollsworth let in a plump bespectacled woman in apron smelling of freshly baked pastry. Mrs. Witch greeted Grimm politely but somewhat absentmindedly, she then turned to the chair and smiled one of her most warmest smiles: “She’s so sweet.”

“Yes, she is,” admitted Milton guardedly. “Don’t try to eat her,” he added promptly. He hoped it was her maternal instinct speaking, the witch has a daughter after all, but with child eating bakers one could never be too sure. Akasha may be a bother but it would be really tragic if she ended on someone’s plate.

The girl began to move and moan and opened her eyes. “Have you slept well,” asked Grimm, he didn’t bother to suppress the sigh that escaped his lips as he asked that question. She nodded. “Good morning,” she said to him and to Candy Witch. Then she got up and ran to her. 

The witch watched with a kind smile as the girl came closer her and sniffed the air around her. “You smell like cookies,” said the child with delight. “Who are you, little one?” “I’m Akasha.” “Nice to meet you, Akasha,” the witch’s teeth flashed in a bright smile: “You have such nice, plump arms,” she squeezed Akasha’s hand a bit. “Oh and your tasty and round cheeks are to die for.” Akasha looked unnerved and felt awkward being in the vicinity of the witch from the tale of Hansel and Gretel. “Thanks, I guess.” She slowly withdrew her arm from the hand of Candy Witch. 

Milton Grimm has watched the scene and then mercifully released the girl from the unnerving presence of the child eating woman: “Go find someone to play with. I have work to do.” Akasha was eager to obey, why staying in one room, when there are still places to explore, people to meet and spells to learn. 

ᴥ

Meanwhile in the student dorm Raven Queen was sitting behind her writing desk and read some book. It was Monday and the school started again but Raven had an hour and half long break between two of her lessons. She would usually use this break for a tea shop visit or doing thronework but this time she couldn’t hocus focus on anything. Almost anything. It began yesterday, when some people confided in her that they have newfound faith in their destiny and that now they can see the importance of their role. And there were few unofficial rebels who drifted to the neutral territory but it may just be a matter of time when they will become full blown royals. 

Of course, that alone wasn’t a problem. At least the future dark queen didn’t regard it as one. Raven wanted people to be able to choose the way they wanted to live which meant, that they can freely decide against or for the destiny that was set for them. At least that’s what Raven thought. Although some rebels got a bit annoyed when some of them changed sides. They claimed that a rebel should stay a rebel and that this changing of sides is weakening their cause. 

And then there was Cerise, who was just plain disappointed and slightly afraid that this may mean that she will never have a chance for her coming out. 

Raven was lost again. So many people looked up to her and she herself gained some confidence since the start of the year but she still found herself at loss with this leadership thing. What will she do or more importantly what shall she do? Then her mind got to the little intruder that came few days ago. It was her arrival that stirred things up. She was the cause but it wasn’t her fault. Akasha was just telling what she knew from her world. Nothing more, nothing less. Of course headmaster Grimm was glad he could use her to regain control over the students. But that was to be expected, this chance presented itself on a silver platter so Raven couldn’t blame him for grabbing it. 

Especially considering the fake Storybook fiasco. It happened a mere three weeks ago when Raven decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps. No, not her mother’s footsteps. Just fulfilling her role in the story. The headmaster used the opportunity of the Thronecoming. It was a great and famous event, one could say it was even bigger than Legacy day itself, with the parade through the village of Bookend and the ball. And the coronation of Thronecoming king and queen, of course. It was splendid and even the alumni or villagers with no meaningful story roles were interested in this event. But this year was different. 

This year Cedar found out the Storybook Raven was about to sign was fake. The real book was stolen by none other than Raven’s mom. She hid it in a place where not even the Grimm brothers were able to find it and so they created a replica as to keep the fairy tales from panicking. 

But then the last Pinocchio gave his daughter a gift. Truth telling glasses and due to Grimms’ bad luck, the living puppet wore them the day before Thronecoming ball, the day Raven prepared to sign it. Cedar interrupted the ceremony and everyone believed her because, frankly, she was Cedar and everyone knew she couldn’t lie to save her life. Grimm had to cancel the signing. Again. Much to his dismay but he couldn’t argue, the truth was out. 

With new questions Raven and her friends set out to look for the real Storybook of Legends but they only found a paper with a spell on it. However, the spell was written with cursed gibberish, a language used by witches to encode their spells as to not reveal their secrets to nosy apprentices or curious yet stupid villagers. Unfortunately Raven knew too little to be able to read the spell, she wasn’t even sure what level the spell was. It was true that she had to learn one thirty-eight level spell once but that didn’t mean she instantly became an expert in sorcery. Magic was weird. It had its firm system but it also contained quite a lot of loopholes like being able to jump-learn a much higher spell under certain circumstances but that didn’t meant one automatically reached a higher level. It could be infuriating at times, especially when one had to use his or her spells for only evil deeds, like Raven for example. 

The evening ball came and went and nothing really changed. Raven hoped that Giles Grimm may have some answers when he set them on the chase for the book but he was still mumbling his riddles. According to Maddie the spell on the paper may help return him to normal but it could also mean that Giles will be invited to a trollbridge tournament with the Moon, the Sun and the Wind. “Yeah, yeah, I know, riddlish is not an exact language,” growled the slightly annoyed dark sorceress. She wasn’t angry on her friend but every time she felt like getting closer to her goal of reaching freedom, something stood in her way. It was infuriating. 

Then there was this vision of doom. Headmaster Grimm and Baba Yaga suggested it may be the future if Raven doesn’t sign but what it is like with the Storybook. What if it is fake, what if one simply doesn’t know what will happen. Ok, this one vision may be lie but the not signing may still lead to trouble. 

But there were already some fairytalers who didn’t sign and somehow made it okay. Raven sighed, this doesn’t lead anywhere. All she has are few answers but an ever growing list of questions. She should hocus focus on something at hand. Which would probably be the spell on the piece of paper if it really is a spell. At least it will decurse Giles, who will then be able to give some coherent answers and that may be helpful for Raven and the Rebels in general. 

What if he tells her that she really does have to sign? Well, it will be something to worry about later since they don’t have a clue where the book is and signing the fake is probably useless anyway. At that point were her thoughts disrupted by a loud knocking.

Behind the door stood her new acquaintance. None other than Akasha. “Hello, would you like to play with me,” asked the girl. Raven hesitated, she wasn’t in a mood for children’s games, but then she remembered that this girl expressed a wish to learn magic. 

“Sure. If you count magic as a game.” The small girl simply grinned. Raven then took out a book with basic magic spells and opened it on a page with a spell that made things turn a different color. “It’s just a simple incantation, nothing complicated,” said the dark haired princess and read the incantation aloud: “Bright or dull, cold or warm, change your coat now.” “I get it,” said Akasha as she memorized the words of the spell. 

“Ok, let’s practice with this pen.” Soon the pen changed color whenever Akasha wanted it to do. Raven was amazed: “It took me a week to learn this spell and I come from a line of sorceresses. How do you do it?” Akasha shrugged: “I don’t know, it’s just how I am. And it is a very easy spell. Harder ones take longer, although not too long.” Raven hesitated and Akasha added: “This doesn’t mean I know everything about magic, I bet you’re still way more knowledgeable. The speed of learning isn’t everything, you know.” That sounded quite wise for a ten year old nursery-rhyme, err, reader but Raven appreciated Akasha’s efforts to make her feel better. 

“This isn’t the first time I’m learning magic, by the way,” the girl continued. “No?” Maybe there are some kinds of magic in the world of readers, too, mused Raven. “No, I meet with a couple of women, who are teaching me. Healing spells, how to defend myself, it’s mostly peaceful stuff, you know. Do you want to know how they look like? I can show you.” “How?” “For some reason there is a portrait of them in Milton’s office.” The words Milton’s office quenched Raven’s curiosity. She didn’t want to get near the headmaster if she could avoid it. “I don’t think I need to see them,” murmured Raven. Then she continued: “You know, I thought this is the first time you came to the Land of Ever After.” “Yes, I’ve never been in this place before but I meet my teachers in other lands regularly. I’ve traveled to many countries and towns.” Raven had no idea if it was truth or just childish made up stories but it was a nice chat either way. 

Then the dark sorceress looked at her clock. “Hundred hexes! I will be late for my class! Sorry, Akasha, I will have to go now. But we may meet later.” “And you can show me the library or something.” “Right, then charm you later,” and the princess left and the girl was suddenly alone. She began walking downstairs but she had to stop due to a strong headache. She clutched her head and a bead of sweat formed on her brow. 

Meanwhile a girl in red cloak came around and tilted her head questioningly. “Are you ok?” “It’s better now,” said the child. “Just a headache,” it added. “Looked like a strong one. Maybe I should take you to Baba Yaga’s office or something. I’m sure she will have a remedy,” offered the girl her help. “I’m Cerise by the way.” “Nice to meet you, Cerise.” The small girl tilted her head: “Let me guess. Little red riding hood.” “Is the title of my story but I prefer to be called Cerise,” retorted Cerise a bit curtly. Akasha smirked: “No biggie, if you will call me Akasha.” And so the future Red riding hood set out to find an old lady’s cottage but this time she had another girl with her. 

“There it is. The cottage has legs and when it gets scared, it runs away so we must be careful.” Of course Cerise was quick enough to catch that chicken-legged house but she didn’t want to let Akasha behind. Therefore they proceeded very slowly and carefully 

They spotted Baba Yaga leaning out of the window and talking with a black haired man with golden eyes. There was something feral about him but Akasha couldn’t say why she was thinking that. Cerise cleared her throat and said: “Good morning, oh my what big eyes you have today.” The sorceress simply cackled in response but her companion made a step forward and declared: “I’m the Badwolf, I eat little girls like you for breakfast,” shouted the man with more theatrical enjoyment than malice and ended with a growl but his lips curled into smirk afterwards. Akasha laughed heartily: “Then you must be starved, good sir, cause I’m afraid I’m not really filling for such a big man as you are.” “Smart little thing this one is, well, just watch your steps and don’t veer off the path as they say,” snarled the man one last time and took off. 

It was Cerise’s turn then: “Sorry to interrupt your conversation but I was going to ask if you have something against headache. It’s for Akasha here.” “Our little reader, eh?” The sorceress crept back in her cottage. The girls outside heard only the sounds of her caged birds and rummaging in drawers for a while. “Oh well, let’s see,” was heard from the window and right after Baba Yaga opened the door and handed Cerise a flask with a light blue liquid. “It doesn’t work immediately but it should make you feel better in time.” Akasha gulped the potion down: “Thank you.” Baba Yaga nodded: “You should head back to the castle.”

And that’s what the girls did. Cerise then took Akasha to the Castleteria to have lunch. There they met other people like Blondie, who expressed her wish to make an interview with Akasha. “You starring in my next Mirrorcast will be just right! When does anyone will have a chance to see a reader from the real world ever again, right?” Soon they were joined by Raven and Apple. They talked for a while and someone mentioned having to return a book. “Now that I think about it, you haven’t seen our library yet, right Akasha,” asked Apple. “Right. And I would like to see it. I adore places with books,” smiled the girl. “No problem, we can take you there,” nodded Raven: “Just let me send a quick hext to Maddie and we can go.”

The Mad Hatter’s daughter met them on their way. She walked through wall like a ghost. “Wonderlandians tend to do impossible things,” leaned Raven to Akasha. “But only if they believe that they are possible. Once you correct them, they can’t do it again.” “Then let’s not correct her on this one. Walking through obstacles may come in handy,” smiled Akasha. 

Raven invited Maddie intentionally. Not only was she Raven’s best friend, she was also the only person the princess knew who could talk Riddlish fluently and who could find the entrance to the Vault of Lost Tales because that was where they all went. “Tea crumbs, it must be somewhere here. Dormouse in cup, I found it,” yelled the tea-loving girl joyously as she knocked on the spot where she sensed the portal. 

“More books. Yay,” shouted Akasha as soon as she stepped into the Vault. Raven rolled her eyes but smiled at the same time: “Yes, books alright but I wanted to show you something else. Something big,” emphasized the dark princess. Akasha perked up her ears and turned her head around to see the big thing Raven announced. There. Something moved in the corner and it comes near. It was a middle aged man with a wild mane of grey hair and clad in worn out clothes. 

“Feathers and friends together alone,” greeted Giles. Raven has seen him enough times to know what that one particular riddle meant. The prisoner came even closer to the girls and studied them for a while silently, then he widened his eyes and looked at Akasha clearly amazed. “A cub dancing on paper. Boon and blessing comes in small portions. [Little Quill. It’s a miracle to see one after such a long time.] 

It wasn’t Maddie who answered: “Two is not one, but one is two.” [I can travel between worlds.] Akasha knows riddlish? That kid was becoming more and more surprising every day. “I didn’t know you speak riddlish! That’s hat-tastic,” shouted Maddie enthusiastically. 

Akasha’s face was full of bewilderment: “That’s a language?! I thought we were just spouting random gibberish.” The others smiled at her confusion. Then Giles turned to Madeline: “Did the man from the mill stumble over the treasure chest?” [Does Milton know about her?] “Unexpected tea party jumps right in your face,” [She greeted him with a surprise hug.] giggled Maddie. Giles chuckled. Madeline translated what he said and went back to chatting with the old man.

Raven shook her head a little. A random kid that catches the interest of both Grimm brothers? Who is she anyway? “Raven, look, my teachers,” Akasha yanked her arm and whispered into her ear. On one of the tables among papers and maps and a set of golden astrolabes stood two framed portraits. Each was a picture of a woman. Both were beautiful but each of them in her own way. One had delicate, almost elvish face, almond shaped eyes and hair so blonde it verged on white. The other was red haired and had something regal and motherly in her. Both had blue eyes. “This is Jane and this one is Charlotte,” gestured Akasha. 

“Gold out, gold in,” said the grey haired man as he looked lovingly at the painted women. “Yes, they are very nice,” agreed Akasha when Maddie translated her the words. “Um, who is it?” “It’s Giles Grimm. We think that he’s the brother of headmaster Grimm but we aren’t really sure because it’s hard to understand him. You see he was cursed to speak in riddles.” “By whom?” “We don’t know. But it would be great if we managed to undo the spell. He can’t leave this place.” “Yeah. I will help you find the right spell,” promised Akasha. “That would be nice but tell no one that we’re trying to free him.” Akasha looked on Raven and then on Giles. He seemed to be friendly, more like a victim of some nasty trick than some bad person who would serve a punishment. And he had the same aura as other dream mentors. Akasha nodded: “Ok, I won’t tell anyone what we are doing. We have to help him.”

As the girls left, the vault had another visitor. A cloud-like form hovered in the room for a while before it left again. Giles saw it only for few seconds but it was enough to make him feel uneasy for a moment. But because the apparition did nothing to alert him, he calmed down again.


	7. Memory 2

The town was bustling and buzzing with life. Merchants yelling, husbands and wives shouting at each other and laughing or crying children. The life of the town wasn’t only noisy it was pretty colorful, too. The different skin tones ranging from a shade of a camel’s fur to ones dark as onyx. Not to mention the clothes that resembled all kinds of things in the heaven and on earth. In a place the townspeople didn’t know about, foreign people were passing the story of this place. From one generation to another. 

The first time came two young men alone. They looked young and they were young in the measurements of their species but they lived almost as twice as any man or woman from that town. 

The town was still big but it was somewhat quieter. As if it got tired after all the shouting and crying. As if it got tired of living. The colors dimmed a little. The people slowed down. The other place was forgetting about these townsmen as people didn’t tell their young ones about the stories the town had to tell. 

It was the second time they came. This time the men took their lovers with them. The weariness of the town surprised them all. The long haired beauties as well as their husbands. Tears welled in their eyes but they couldn’t put out the fire that so hungrily swallowed many of the books the story was written in. 

The town turned to ruins as more and more life seeped slowly away. Without fanfares, without funeral weepers it silently vanished out of existence. 

Many years passed until they returned. Third time three figures arrived. Two women and a child. The little girl looked at the town but the town was no more. All she could see was an ocean of sand, the shimmering silhouettes of another town on the horizon. Only a half-covered wooden board told her the name of the town. The name of the story.


	8. Parent call and a wand in the attic

Day 5 

That morning the citizens of Ever After woke up to a cold white mist surrounding the village. It vanished shortly after dawn but it was still quite a peculiar sight. Normally the weather in the realm was warm and sunny, sure, last few years the temperature rose few grades from spring to summer weather and there were days when it was raining or a storm was raging for a whole day but no one, not even the oldest villager, could remember a cold day. Of course, the mist quickly disappeared after the sun rays stabbed its white mass creating a beautiful yet somehow eerie sight. 

“It wasn’t me,” said Old Man Winters for what felt like umpteenth time that morning alone. Fortunately for him the cold was short and the rest of the day was warm as any other so people stopped asking him. Everyone calmed down again. 

Well, everyone except headmaster Grimm. The ghastly apparition returned and again hovered near Akasha’s bed. He had also the impression it got a tad bit solider but it was hard to tell with a specter. His first thought about trouble coming to Ever After High may be true after all, with the difference that Akasha isn’t the prime cause but she might’ve attracted something sinister. 

That was one of the reasons he cancelled all appointments today, because there was something more important to do. He will have to keep an eye on that child, there were still too many questions about her. Like why isn’t she going back to the real world? Her family must be already worried about her. Of course, it can be that she doesn’t have a family of her own and she chose Ever After as her new home. 

Then he heard a sound of two fists knocking out a steady rhythm on his office door. “You can come in.” The knocking continued. “Come in,” he yelled louder. The knocking didn’t stop. Milton sighed and went to open the door. There stood Akasha smiling like a little sun. “Good morning, headmaster Milton,” she made a curtsy. It was a combination of mockery and honest adoration. Milton saw right through it but couldn’t suppress a smirk that was forming on his lips. “Good morning to you, too, dear. Are you ready for our lesson,” he planned to test her abilities and get some answers from her, all under the guise of magic training. 

“I learned a spell yesterday. Raven taught me one.” “But it was surely not as exciting as the one I’m going to show you,” he claimed boastfully. Then he added: “Did she say something about the school?” “No, nothing.” So the girl still doesn’t know about the Royals versus Rebels conflict. That’s better for both of them. “Actually, we were talking more about me,” said Akasha slowly as she remembered the dialogue. It made her a bit sad in that she would like to know more about this place but she was happy when someone expressed interest in her and her adventures because she liked to tell stories. “I told her, I travelled to a lot of places and that I had three nice teachers. But hey, when do we get to the magicking part?” the child got impatient. 

“Right now. Just one last thing,” said Milton in calming tone, trying to be careful and unsuspicious, “are you happy here. Don’t you want to go home? Aren’t you homesick?”   
But the girl’s reaction proved he wasn’t careful enough. Akasha widened her eyes in shock: “You don’t want to get rid of me, do you? I like it here, please let me stay. I’m ok, my parents…I’m sure they, too, are ok.”

Truth was, she did try to return to Earth. Twice already when she was alone in the guest room, but both attempts were unsuccessful. That was confusing, because she never encountered any situation like this before. Any time she wanted to wake up, she simply thought about waking up and a second later she opened her eyes in her own room on Earth. Weirdly enough her usual teleportation technique worked normally. She was still able to go from one place to another as long as it was in the dream. About the parents part, well, she wasn’t sure about that one. Her dream trips took usually only few hours but this one seemed to be much longer already, on the other hand, Akasha suspected that the time in Ever After flew quicker than in many other places and that would mean there is still chance that it’s night in the real world.

That child must have a hard life if it doesn’t have anyone to miss her. Or she was lying. At first he wanted to send her home as quickly as possible, mainly because he was afraid she could support the rebels. Now he wasn’t so sure about sending her away. But he can’t keep someone else’s child. That’s kidnapping. Except it’s not against the child’s will…That doesn’t matter! She must have some kind of guardian in the other world. And he will make sure she gets home safely. Until then he can as well teach her something.  
He had to admit Akasha was beginning to grow on him. Her cheerful if sometimes rude behavior had its charm. She reminded him of someone he used to know. A woman of red hair and big heart. She, too, was his pupil but also his teacher as she herself was able to come up with some spells of her own, then friend and lastly lover. Until she disappeared centuries ago. 

“Magic. You mentioned learning a spell that changes a colour of a thing. But I’m sure you know that skilled mages are able to change their own appearance.” “I can do it, too. Am I a skilled mage?” “Depends on what you can do already,” chuckled the man. 

Where stood a girl just a moment ago, appeared a multi-eyed, tentacle creature: “Gurgle, gurgle,” said the monster. “I appreciate your creativity but try something more mundane, like a human being for example. Boring, I know. I just want to see you understood how the spell works.” “Gurgle,” the dozens of eyes lowered themselves in a nod.

The creature made way for a dark-skinned curvaceous, long haired blonde in a cheetah patterned swimsuit. The woman blew an air kiss before Akasha returned to her old self earning an approving nod from the headmaster. “What’s next,” asked the energetic girl. Milton took a deep thoughtful look at her, then shook his head worriedly: “No, that’s too difficult.”

That captured the little Quill’s curiosity: “What is it?” He waved his hand: “Forget it!” Akasha groaned, then said with renewed vigor: “Never. I don’t give up that easily.” “That’s praiseworthy but sheer determination won’t be enough in this case.” “Oh come on,” she pulled his arm. “ “Alright, alright,” he wrung his hands in excitement. Akasha perked up and hung on every single one of his words. “The peak of self-transformation is turning into an inanimate object.” “Easy peasy!” The child jumped into the air and down fell a crown fit for a high king. Gold and embedded with differently coloured jewels. There were different gems and also pearls. And every kind of gemstone she used for her crown form had a symbolic meaning. Symbols of wisdom, purity, power over the saintly but also the earthly regions. such a crown would be considered a jewel-makers masterpiece. It also showed that the girl was taught about symbols. The Christian, ancient Greek and Roman, even those of the Orient. 

Milton smirked. His little trick worked. Akasha was never in any real danger. The pace and fluidity when transforming into the monster hinted at a great potential that could overcome significantly bigger obstacles. To be honest, he messed around with her for a bit. But for a good reason. It was to keep her motivation up while he was having a little fun doing it. 

Still to have mastered these techniques alone in such a short time. Except she did mention three other masters. At first he dismissed her remarks as tall tales, attempts at making herself even more interesting as she already was but if it was true and somewhere out there were three adult Quills why has no one came to the Land of Ever After ever? How old were they anyway, surely he and Giles must have met them at some point, they travelled many story worlds in their lifetime. 

Now that he thought about it, when was the last time they took time to set on a long journey. To explore new lands and visit new cultures. Out there are crowds of stories people are coming with each year and they just sit here, putting together schedules and arguing with bratty teens. The school swallowed most of their time but it wasn’t like they hadn’t had the possibility to take a vacation. They just lost interest, as if they stopped caring, their adventurous spirits weakened.

After the foundation of the school they mainly travelled through fairy tales with the occasional journey to the real world or the realm of horror to see their old pals Dracula and Hexiciah. How much did they missed? What happened in the worlds outside of fairytales? He has been only to the real Earth and a handful of other worlds but only because of work and only for a short time.

“What now?” Akasha had already successfully finished another practice he gave her in the meantime and was awaiting new instructions. But they were interrupted by a ringing sound. It came from Grimm’s desk mirror. Akasha didn’t waste time and, as was becoming her habit, teleported right behind headmaster’s desk. She found out how to pick up a call immediately, to Milton’s dismay.

The display showed a slender man in lavish clothes and a monocle over his left eye. “Hoy, kingsley!” Waved the child at him. The man didn’t bother with a greeting, his only reaction was turning his nose up and raising his eyebrow a millimeter, not more, to show his disdain with this commoner who can’t behave towards him properly. 

But then Milton got to his mirror, too, and nudged the girl to leave her new toy be: “Go away, you can’t speak with the king of Cinderella’s kingdom like that. Excuse her, your majesty, she had no idea with whom she’s speaking.” “I see,” came the slow retort of someone who has no understanding for the faults, especially the stupid commoners’ who can’t get anything right, of others but he has more important matters on his great mind so he will let it pass for now. 

“Grimm, the matter is too grave to be overlooked. I insist you do something with it. My wife’s animal spies have reported that our daughter is dating some lumberjack. Please, explain.” 

Milton breathed in, out of all the parent calls he could get today, it must be Proper Ella, the husband of Cindy Ella, the current Cinderella. The kind continued: “It’s enough that my daughter attends classes with the low-breds like Lockes and Hood but this is unacceptable. Or those toys that pretend to be human.” Now it was Milton’s turn to raise his eyebrow: “I can assure you, your Majesty, that all persons of material, and it doesn’t matter whether they are made of wood or iron, are capable of feelings like you and me.” 

“Hmpf.” “As for the other concern. I did receive information that your daughter is meeting one of our fellow students, however both are devoted to their destinies, none of the teachers had any complaints to their class performances and I haven’t detect any improper behavior between those two.” His pale features were a shade pinkier now and on his forehead appeared hard to see wrinklies: “No improper behavior?! How can you say it so calmly when the poor scum is eyeing my treasured child.” 

“Sir, the Huntsman family may not be wealthy but they are honorable citizens of the realm. I, too, don’t approve of any relationship, if it should go against one’s destiny, romantic or otherwise, but I must insist that you refrain from insulting your fellow fairytalers.”

Proper glared at the headmaster, eyes cold as ice: “Don’t provoke me, Grimm, or I will send my daughter into some other school where she will receive proper education. I’m disappointed headmaster, the Ever After High has stoop very low since the days I’ve gone there. Farewell.” “Good bye, Your Majesty,” said Milton with badly hidden annoyance. 

Akasha blew a raspberry at the mirror. First Milton shot a disapproving glance at her but then he just nodded: “Yeah, I feel that way about him, too.” He couldn’t fathom how such a terrible man ended up marrying such humble and kind woman, what’s more even his care wasn’t enough to overcome his wife’s influence and their daughter is just as sweet as her mother. He can’t say it aloud but some destinies really sucked.

Grimm rubbed his eyes and grumbled: „At times like this I wish we hadn’t invented the mirrorphones.“ Akasha listened carefully. He invented those gadgets, that’s cool. „We? Who else? Like you and your brother?“ The middle aged man shot a glaring look at her: „How do you know I have a brother?“ 

He said it so rash, Akasha felt as if the conversation started to go south for some reason. She blinked at him puzzled: „Pff, you know it says brothers Grimm so one would expect more than one guy named Grimm when people bother with the usage of plural.”

Except the original Grimms‘ names were Jacob and Wilhelm, not Milton and Giles. And they were real life German tale collectors and linguists, not dreamy images in her head, thought she but her explanation apparently calmed him down. 

Akasha came up with a new question to cover her previous blunder: „So, do you have one or not?“ Milton stared at his desk for a while before whispering: „He’s…gone.“ Uhuh. That’s all? “What happened,” risked the child one more question. But Grimm refused to answer, strongly suggesting Akasha should leave him be because he has more important things to do instead of thinking about the past. It can’t be changed after all. 

So the girl had to go. But that didn’t means she stopped thinking about it. They had fun first but once it came to the topic of Giles Grimm, the headmaster got angry. With the headmaster missing his brother and there being a strange man in the cellar under the school it could be assumed that, yes, they are one and the same person. But there still remained some questions: Who cursed him? And why is he locked in the cellar?

One thing was clear, for Milton is painful to talk about his sibling. Is it simply because he believes him to be lost forever or…or it was him who imprisoned him down there? Akasha gasped. The headmaster was nice to her but she started to feel that there were a lot of things she didn’t know about. For a world of fairytales, this is one rather complicated story. One thing stands clear, she will have to be careful to not frame the wrong person. For all she knows, maybe Milton just thinks his brother is dead and is miserable because he mourns him.

Well, I probably wouldn’t be happy if one would be too nosy about my grandfather either. Then she chased the thoughts about the unpleasant man away and focused on what she wanted to do now. 

Akasha felt like having some alone time for a change. The question was what to do? Well, she could go to the library read some books, that was always a good option but then she felt like exploring this place even deeper, or higher, she told herself as she went through the rooms she already discovered. She saw the gardens, she was in the underground Vault, she visited the students’ dormitory but there were places she hasn’t been before. The tower attics. 

The attics were mostly empty, with the majority of unnecessary old and lost things in the Vault and underground rooms, with only some broken cupboards, a thick layer of dust on the floor and a large population of spiders. The only exception being the attic in the highest tower. In the darkest corner was a crate, an old scratched streamer trunk. 

Inside the trunk was a wand. It was rather long, fourteen and half inches, and quite thick at one end, the wood dark brown with a purple hue. The child turned it around to see it from all angles. The wand will have to be tested but Akasha felt that it may be powerful enough to break a certain nasty spell put on the other Grimm brother. With her new treasure under her hoodie she left the attic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: person of material = POM (living puppets, tin men etc.); it’s my headcanon that it was the Grimm brothers who invented the mirrorphones and mirrorpads


	9. Memory 3

Did I tell you that I’ve always had very vivid dreams? To be honest, my always wasn’t as long as other people’s always. It all started when I was seven. Until then I’ve never dreamt at all actually.

When I was about to go to school there was a test for all children whose parents wanted them to go to that one particular school. Most of the children got it right, it was easy even for a preschooler, but I was always the fastest in finding the solution. The teachers were worried I may have had ADHD or other learning disorder but the truth was I was just really quick and was able to go doing something else while the other children were still concentrating on their first task. 

So they labeled me as a child prodigy and moved me right into the third grade. I wasn’t very good at making friends but there were some people I got along with, among them was an elderly lady working in the library that had always a nice word for me. 

The librarian gave me the nickname Matilda and because Dahl was one of her favorite authors (she recommended him to any child who as much as glanced in the direction of the library) I soon learnt why she began to call me that. 

One day we had to tell everyone in class one of our dreams. I remember that very well, because it was the first assignment I failed, or so I thought. The other kids were convinced I have only forgotten them all and Mrs. Nebraski was too nice to reprimand someone for something like not remembering a dream but I still felt down. When I asked other children about dreams and how to have them, they gave me dozen of tips. Don’t eat too much before going to sleep, write into your journal the moment you wake up and the one that changed my life forever – try lucid dreaming. 

The child that gave me this advice had an older sibling who was into esotery and magic so she promised me to lent me a book about lucid dreaming and told me some advice about the technique she heard from her older sibling. 

One day I tried it and it worked. I could speak and touch things and hear sounds but it was in my head as I was imagining things and replaying them in my mind. It was funny to run or jump while in reality I was really lying in my bed. And because I felt like in a different world, I began to call myself by a new name. I was Zelda by day and Akasha at night.


	10. Memory 4

I’m fond of certain dreams more than the others. One of my favourites is the one I dreamt about the Alexandrian library. The real one got burnt down ages ago but can be rebuilt in one’s imagination over and over again. I was with Jane and Charlotte again, dreams with Wu usually looked as if they were happening in China and other Asian countries, he left Europe- and American-themed dreams to my other mentors. Now that I remember, I had almost none dreams about Africa or Australia, except those nights I had dreams about ancient Egypt but those were rare. 

The library. We started outside of the library in a humongous city filled with anyone and anything you can imagine. It was one gigantic rainbow its stripes made of colorful people moving in every direction. Some walked, some slithered, some flew above our heads. The inhabitants were amazing and so was the architecture. Some houses looked as if they existed against all laws of physics, many were built using magic and combinations of organic and non-organic materials. You could find a Christian church or a Buddhist temple next to a structure resembling a sea shell. One of the castle-like palaces was made of sand and ice together. It was incredible to touch its walls that were cold and smooth on some places and rough and warm on the others. Or the aqua ducts. They not only lead water to the denizens, they were built of the water itself. Look, in the middle of the city flows a river in form of three rows of arches. The arches on the ground are the largest and there is the least of them and the highest arches are the smallest but there is a lot of them. An aqua duct, literally. 

But what I personally liked the most were the plantern houses. Those are houses that look like lanterns and these big lanterns are being carried by giant flowers. Like sunflowers, daisies or blue bells. I was so amazed by them that I bought one for myself. One that looks like a plump red Chinese lantern held by a massive bright yellow daffodil. 

Then we entered in the library itself. The city was huge and so was the library. The archives and laboratories built their own town. I noticed that in the city were some people who turned their heads to look at us with curious expressions, here people were whispering and they were pointing their fingers at us. 

Then suddenly one after another the librarians began kneeling down silently. Their heads bowed down as if they were paying us respect. “They are bowing to you,” I asked while looking from one bowing librarian to another. Jane or Charlotte or maybe both at once answered: “They are bowing to us.” 

An old orc with monk’s haircut and robe came to my teachers and kneeled down in front of them: “My ladies, it’s been such a long time.” They took his hands and helped him to get up which wasn’t easy for he was clearly aging. But he managed to stand up and then he made a few steps towards me. He took my hand in his and looked at me with wise and tender brown eyes: “I see you have brought a friend. I’m truly honored to have seen such a miracle with my own eyes before the end of my days. What is your name, dear?” “Akasha.” “Akasha, my lady,” he lowered his head, “Heliodor Lothar at your service.”


	11. Mad, hat, cat

Day 6 

That morning was even colder than yesterday. The chilly weather lurked around the village and the school until the end of the first lesson. But then it got to its usual state again.  
The weather forecasters were surprised because while the Everafterians knew about the existence of winter. For them the December meant warm days like in June but with telling stories about snow covered houses and trees and smoking chimneys. If someone wanted to see snow that it would have to be either magically conjured or one would have to go to a place known for its cold. 

It was enough that there tended to appear sudden storms and rain clouds completely without warning but this cold really caught them off guard at first. Fortunately the more flexible villagers were already preparing for colder times in their own way. Like a special collection of autumn jackets and boots for a discount in the clothes shops. If only the ordinary citizens knew, what was causing all the weather changes…

There were those that knew what caused the sudden changes in the weather, mostly, this gradual dropping of temperature surprised even them. Mainly because they were aware that it is them who change the weather. Their mood manifested in form of sunshine or rain or storm clouds according to their joy, sadness or wrath. Right now one of those accidental weather makers studied the icy flowers and chains the frost drew on the window. The ornaments were hauntingly beautiful, even when slowly melting under the golden touch of the sun. Their eeriness stemmed really from the fact that that they should appear in even colder weather, as cold as it was getting the temperature still didn’t drop under zero Celsius. But there was this one window that froze over night and it took almost to midday for the frosty blossoms to melt. The window to formerly Giles’, now Akasha’s room.

ᴥ

“Rave, Golden delicious, look what I found!” Both princesses turned from feeding the birds and went to the door where stood Akasha waving with her new wand. “Did you find the spell to free the rugged guy from under the school, yet?” Raven sighed: “None that I could use. Those I found are too hard for me. I would have to pass at least two levels to get to a class high enough to break the curse.” “Do you think that waving a strong wand would give a boost to your magic?” “Maybe, but I doubt it will be enough. The safest way would be to take a test supervised by Baba Yaga. Two actually, because I think that I have to reach the level seven and I’m only level five.” 

“It’s such a shame it must be you to undone the curse,” sighed Apple: “You shouldn’t be doing any good things but none of the good princesses is able to do it at all (Faybelle would refuse to help anyone and Ginger’s level is even lower than yours) and I feel really sorry for the poor man so I have to swallow it for now. But promise me to do something nasty after that, ok? At least a little prank.” “Apple, I’m trying hard to not do anything evil at all. Is it really so hard to notice,” groaned Raven.

Akasha was bewildered to see someone who would refuse a chance to prank someone, and so vehemently insisting it’s against one’s morale to top it off. That Raven girl must have a very low sense of humor if a prank is so big of a deal for her. “Geez, Rave, you’re acting as if it was murder or something,” chuckled Akasha. “Or are you scared that you will be caught? In that case I know how to pull a prank that no one will be able to frame you for.” 

The girl skipped to the window and took a handful of bird food and transformed it into some gems: “It’s just an illusion that will soon disperse. Now you can leave it lying somewhere and before you count to three someone will take it.” “Yeah, but then they will start wishing what they could get for the gems and they will be disappointed when they see that they have found only a pile of bird food. I don’t want to disappoint people.” Akasha glared at her: “You’re a total prude, Rave.” 

“I’m not! I just don’t want to be evil. Grimm, my teachers and even half of the students are constantly forcing me to do something evil. But guess what. I DON’T WANT TO BE EVIL,” Raven raised her voice and her hair started to burn with her evil purple halo. Apple cowered but Akasha simply got a laughing fit: “Now you finally showed a funny bone, a school where they insist on people behaving nasty. That’s a good joke.” “That’s not a joke, it’s true.” “Yeah, ok, whatever, this nice castle is in reality scholomance, why not,” Akasha smirked, then she lit up: “Wanna know something? I raided a village when I was eight. Now that’s bad.” The princesses looked horrified. “That really IS bad,” said Apple. “Relax. I didn’t hurt anyone. All it took to scare them was a pile of pots to make noise with and a big cloud of dust. They thought it was a horde of enemy riders. They pillaged them often, but it was just me. They ran away and I walked through their homes undisturbed.” “With that attitude you could easily qualify for the school’s course of Expert Villainy, don’t you want to take my place as the Evil Queen,” suggested Raven hopeful but also significantly alarmed. Akasha simply sighed dreamily, remembering all her pranks: “As I said, my heart belongs to neutrality. And loot.” Then she continued calmly: “I still don’t get it why you make such a big fuss about it.”

Now it was Apple’s time to explain. Not only was she a member of the debate club but she was really passionate when it comes to the topic. “As a reader you know fairy tales, so you know there are princesses, princes and evil queens and kings. Every story needs a villain just as much as it needs a hero. Without everyone acting their roles it’s not a story and if you refuse to follow you destiny, you may go poof.” “Or maybe not,” added Raven. “It’s that we’re raised to take on our parent’s roles or a role we are most suited for. And if you refuse to follow your destiny, like me, well people get angry and force you to change your mind.” “Because everyone who doesn’t take the stories seriously, risks endangering the lives of everyone in the story. That’s why we pledge to follow in our parents’ footsteps. Except Raven and the Rebels.”

Akasha pondered their words for a while before she told them: “This is the first time I hear someone talking about destiny as if it was an artificial construct made by society. I mean isn’t this supposed to just sorta happen? Like, no matter how much you try to prevent it, you still end up as the thing your destiny wants you to become?” “Thank you very much, now I will be much calmer,” uttered the black haired girl. “I don’t want to hurt you and I am all for trying to fight bad things that happen in your life, it’s just that your definition of destiny sounds weird,” the Earth girl hesitated for a second, “to me, at least.” Silence. “Have you ever heard of king Oidipus? That’s a fine example of fighting fate…And failing at that. Sorry,” Akasha added as she noticed the look on Raven’s face changed from hopeful to forlorn.

“Well, if that’s all for discussions about fate and one’s place in society, I gotta go,” Akasha disappeared to reappear somewhere else the girls had no idea where. The little reader just came and went whenever she felt like it. 

ᴥ 

On the schoolyard Akasha found Maddie. “How’s it brewing, Loony?” The other girl smiled sweetly and answered in riddlish but when she saw Akasha’s bewildered face she corrected herself: “I’m fine, thank you.” “Could you take me to that guy locked in the library?” “You mean Giles? I will take you there but later. Right now I’m going to visit Kitty in the hospital.” “Isn’t it the girl I saw faint when I arrived?” “Yuppity yup. She’s the daughter of the Cheshire Cat and my friend.” “Then I will come with you. And I will bring her a little gift.” “Let’s meet in front of the Tea Shoppe,” nodded Madeline. 

Akasha transported herself into the fields where she made two flower crowns. Her old one wilthed away few days ago and she wanted a new one but she didn’t get to it. Just now she got the perfect opportunity to make a new one for herself and for Kitty. Luckily she found some catnip so she wove it into the cat girl’s crown. When she was ready she appeared in front of the Mad Hatter’s tea shop on Pentamerone plaza just when Maddie came followed by other girl. Akasha knew her already. It was Lizzie Hearts. Future queen of Wonderland has come to pay visit her subordinate, officially, but truthfully worried friends wanted to ask how their other friend was doing. 

“I want out. I want to chase Earl Grey around the dorm, I want to take nap in the shade of a tree and I want to be with you,” Kitty greeted them with a rant. The other Wonderlandians were overcome by her frustration and rushed to embrace her. “Thanks, guys, it’s much better now,” purred she as she pulled herself from them. “I tried to pull some pranks here but when I pretend to have dragon pox or something they just get more worried about my health and threaten to hold me here for another day. Vrrr,” Kitty hissed angrily. 

ᴥ

The time flew fast and the girls parted. Sadly, Lizzie and Maddie had to go study for tests and do thronework. Akasha went with the Wonderlandians but shortly before the school entrance she waved them goodbye returned to Kitty’s hospital room. She appeared so unexpectedly that she managed to startle the trickster.  
“Shh, the staff doesn’t have to know I’m here,” winked the small girl at the cat girl. Kitty nodded unsure of what to think of Akasha’s sudden return. The girl caught on the Wonderlandian’s unspoken question and pulled a magic wand out of her hood. 

“I have a new wand to test out, if you tell me some really good pranks I might pull them in your stead. It won’t be the same as pulling them yourself but I can later show you the result in a mirror,” the Earthling sat on Kitty’s bed, letting the cat girl examine the magic stick before the girls started discussing some prank ideas. 

ᴥ

They came up with some really funny ideas. That’s what Akasha thought as she walked through the village pondering what prank to start with. At first she animated some flower pots. The pots grew tiny legs and scurried off leaving their owner panting and swearing behind them. 

Looking at the scampering flowers in their ceramic beds with their stubby legs the girl got another idea. Yes, there it is, Baba Yaga’s hut and the witch herself is nowhere to be seen. Perfect timing, Akasha smirked to herself. The girl carefully aimed the wand at the hutling’s leg and cast a spell. A second later the hutling had a rope knotted around its leg, the rope leading to a pair of cans. The hutling unaware of the cans wanted to get rid of the itching rope so it jumped which caused the cans to emit an unpleasant noise. The startled hutling ran circles around its mother hut but the cans have followed everywhere. 

“That was really mean.” Akasha, still laughing because of the scene that played in front of her, turned to her left to see a scowling girl made of wood approach her. “Don’t you see you’re scaring the poor thing? How would you like if I told it to madame Yaga,” continued the wooden girl. Akasha shrugged and with a self-satisfied smile and a flick of the wand, the hutling was freed from its misery. “What are you, some kind of moral police or what,” but Akasha didn’t wait for the girl to answer and left. 

ᴥ

Akasha returned to the school to meet with her other new but significantly older friend. Headmaster Grimm. She caught him when he was returning to his office: “I went to visit Kitty today. She’s alright, but homesick. It’s terrible that the Wonderland was cursed.” “It is. The place was weird before but now it’s completely harebrained. We had to seal every portal to make sure the curse doesn’t pollute any other land.” “You and your brother,” remarked Akasha. He furrowed his eyebrows: “And the rest of the staff.” “And Kitty, Lizzie and Maddie and her dad are really the only ones who managed to escape?” “Unfortunately the curse spread really fast.” “I can’t even imagine how I would feel if I couldn’t be with my parents or siblings or anyone from my family. Except I don’t have any siblings,” giggled the child. Milton rolled his eyes. Yet you’re still here. Probably just trying to catch him off guard so he would tell her something about his family. 

“How long do you intend to keep her around,” said a woman’s voice behind his back. It was Baba Yaga. The sorceress continued: “I haven’t seen you being occupied with something that doesn’t involve the school in one way or the other in forever after. And it’s not like you to take in a random child on a whim,” she scratched the mole on her nose. “It’s hard to explain.” “Try me.” “She’s not an ordinary reader.” Madame Yaga took it in stride: “And?” 

He viewed her thoughtfully as if waging if he could trust her.  
“I plan to make her my apprentice, in fact I’ve begun teaching her. I’m convinced that she will be capable of leading the school one day.”  
“I have no problems with it, but I’m a villain. What do the other teachers think about it?”  
“You’re the first I told it to.”  
Baba Yaga nodded calmly then said: “Just don’t start combing her*.” 

“Excuse me,” the headmaster looked at the sorceress with pure disbelief. However the old witch didn’t flinch a finger: “Just saying. Some fairy talers seem to not differentiate between their wives and daughters.” 

“Not in front of the child.” Baba reacted with a calm shrug of a shoulder: “She will have to learn about certain dangers sooner or later.” “Baba Yaga!” yelled Milton, his face red as a tomato. “Alright, alright, shutting up right away.”

Akasha looked at them with a curious expression. She desperately wanted to know what they were talking about but she knew enough about adults, that she could tell they wouldn’t spill the beans to her, even if she did the sweetest, puppiest eyes. Sometimes it sucked being a child. 

ᴥ

“You, too, would miss your family if you were separated by curse, right,” Akasha returned to their previous conversation. You won’t shut up until I say something, will you? “Yes. Don’t you miss your parents?” “They are fine, I will soon return to them, until then I wanna have fun,” and she disappeared again.  
It was time to meet with Maddie. The girls took dozens of stairs and turns before they reached the sanctuary of all old and forgotten things – the Vault of Lost Tales. There they found their prisoner sleeping like a newborn on a pile of parchments. “He must’ve been trying to find a way out,” Akasha looked at him sympathetically. Nonetheless she needed him to be awake so she took the biggest and heaviest tome she could find and carry. With the book opened in the middle she stepped to the snoring man and with a loud thud the book was closed again. Grimm immediately opened his eyes and looked around like an owl shocked by sudden appearance of the sun.  
Together with Maddie Akasha was able to calm him down. Then again with the assistance of her friend she told him that they are working on setting him free but Raven needs to reach two more levels of magic. “She will have to pass an exam, he says,” translated Maddie. “Is there a set date for the test,” asked Akasha and waited. “Not necessarily. You can take the test whenever you want if you arrange it with madame Yaga but the end of semester is nearing, that’s the time when most people take this test. Then and the end of the school year.” “Are you allowed to take two tests at once?” “I do think so. It will be odd but it shouldn’t be forbidden.” “I see. Thank you for your answers. We will do our best to get you out,” Akasha thanked first Giles and then Maddie for her ‘wonderfully hexcellent translating job’. 

ᴥ

After the dinner she entered into her new bedroom and was welcomed by chilly breeze. A sign that the night will be cold and the icy flowers and vines on her window will return. Lying in her bed she mused why she couldn’t wake up. Hopefully uniting the brothers will help her get some answers. Maybe something in her subconciousness changed that required her to get new spiritual guides and this was a trial to reach new levels of self-awareness or something. If it’s true she can’t help it but she sure will miss her old teachers. Even if they are just figments of her imagination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: Baba Yaga is referencing the Russian folk tale „The Comb“.  
> http://www.furorteutonicus.eu/germanic/ashliman/mirror/incest.html


	12. Memory 5

I turned around and around to be able to see everything the monstrous library had to offer. Tall shelves as high as some building stacked with books, scrolls and small jars with animals I couldn’t identify. And the librarians themselves were a sight to behold. I have never seen so many different creatures in one place, except in the city but the library is a part of Bibliopolis so it’s not a surprise there are strange folks everywhere. 

They may look odd but they were harmless, just a bunch of busy books and knowledge loving people running around the place doing their job. 

“Please, could you give us a copy of The Epic of Labar,” spoke Jane to a woman whose human torso was connected to a snake’s tail. The naga nodded and slithered away. After some time a centaur galloped to us with a few scrolls. I took one and began to read it. “I have never heard about such story,” I said looking up from the scroll. 

“Remember the empty place where the forgotten story used to be?” I nodded thoughtfully remembering the spot of barren land with nothing but an old battered sign pole. “This is the original text,” nodded Charlotte. “The scroll it was written on was destroyed a long time ago and the people that knew about the story died without passing it to someone else,” sighed Jane. “All that is left is the name of the story the archeologists were able to recover. Everything else, however, is lost forever,” added Charlotte. 

“That’s sad,” I whispered watching the scroll but thinking not reading it. “Yes, it is,” I heard the answer of one of my mentors. Then I looked up once more: “Then I can write it again or tell someone to write it as a new story.” Charlotte put a soothing hand on my shoulder: “It wouldn’t be the same story anymore. Once a story fades, it can’t be revived no matter what.”


	13. The Haunting Lullaby part 1

Day 7 (1/2)

The frosty and flowery ornaments weren’t a surprise for Akasha anymore but this morning she woke up with a melody on her lips. She kept humming a song which she felt she knew but still couldn’t remember its name nor the words. To make matters even stranger, she felt as if someone sang her this song while she was asleep. She hummed it even during breakfast while she watched and listened to her friends and other students. She got lost in her thoughts about the odd tune a bit when she was startled by Maddie’s sudden singing: 

Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!  
How I wonder what you're at!  
Up above the world you fly,  
Like a tea tray in the sky.

“What,” Akasha looked at the Mad Hatterling all dumbfounded. The wonderlandish girl explained: “The melody you’re humming. I added words to it so it wouldn’t feel so lonely.” “Oh right,” whispered the Earth girl. The melody itself was nice but she was beginning to worry if it isn’t a sign of something bad. The things that made her nervous were piling up lately. She couldn’t return to the real world, she has bouts of bad headache and now she hears a random singing at night. Akasha wasn’t by no means sure but if she had to guess, she would say that she heard a woman’s voice, it was faint but it could very well be Jane’s or Charlotte’s. Maybe it wasn’t that bad if her old spiritual guides are still with her albeit very inconspicuously. 

Guides, mentors! She would almost forget to remind Raven to ask Madame Yaga for the double sorcery exam! Akasha leaned to Raven and whispered: “I talked to Giles yesterday, he said it’s possible to take an exam for two levels at once. It’s unusual but still ok. You just have to go tell Baba Yaga.” Raven was thinking about it for a while, then she nodded. She seemed to be unsure if it wouldn’t look too suspicious and if she can pass both parts of the exam. “Heads up, you will make it,” Akasha patted her back. She would go with Raven but she decided not to scare the huts any further and, more importantly, Raven has to look as if she does this as part of her role. They must evade any suspicion that they may be working on freeing the prisoner. They still don’t know who imprisoned him, exposing their mission would be disastrous at this moment. 

ᴥ

“I smell evil,” cackled the inhabitant of the hut. The door opened revealing an old woman with long grey hair under a large shawl. Behind her squawked dozens of caged birds. “It’s distilled but it’s still there,” she said a bit disappointed at the sight of a certain black and purple haired student. “Madame Yaga, I wish to sign for this year’s sorcery exam.” The old crone nodded smiling: “Good to hear you haven’t gone completely cuckoo.” She cackled again. “There is one thing…” “Yes, my dear,” Yaga frowned a bit, unsure what will the rebellious girl come with. “I want to take two exams at once.” “Two…” The old teacher rubbed her chin thoughtfully: “Well, it is doable.” “Then let me do it. If I have to become the next Evil Queen I have to have the power to claim the title,” said Raven maybe a tad bit more feisty than necessarily.

This time the cackle grew into an uncontrollable belly laugh “Don’t try to tell me that you’re all Royal now, girl. But I do see where you’re getting at. Ok, have it your way, Raven. But hit the books soon, it’s going to be hard.” Well, that was one part down. Now Raven will have to make sure to learn all the spells and potions that could come up in the test. The girl groaned exhausted from the thought of extra school work alone. Some feeble good students mistook her groan for a display of evil malice and hurried to take the nearest shelter. Raven sighed and hurried to her first lesson. 

ᴥ  
It’s been three days since the coldness appeared and the temperature sinks further and further.   
What does it mean? He noticed long time ago that whenever his or his brother’s mood changes the weather reacts to the change as well. Sun shines when they are happy, it’s raining when they are sad and thunder strikes when they are angered. It’s been always this way since he and Giles created this world. 

Actually there were four of them at that time. They have decided that they need a place of their own, a sort of headquarters, a sanctuary to hide from the rest of the dimensions. They chose a realm and began to work on a world of their own. They used a technique that was ancient even before the guys met the girls. 

They sang the world into existence. Milton, Giles, Beatrice and Laura have given their best to make a lovely place with a lush forest and sparkling river and lake. They populated the world with animals well-known and lesser known to have some neighbors and a source of food, too. However they didn’t let any sentient beings in at first. Not even the Librarians knew this world existed and so no one could find them there. That was the time when they discovered that the world reacted to their feelings. 

They lived together in small hut that was reconstructed and enlarged a few times over the years. Later they even let a few genre folk families to live with them on the other side of the forest. Then their female friends left their little paradise and never returned…

From those days Milton knew that usually when everything was alright the realm would be encased in eternal spring. But when his and Giles relationship tensed the temperature would rose and the air was heavy and hard to breath. It was summer, but a summer that made you seek a cold place or else one will faint from overheating. 

He wondered if the fairytalers put the two phenomenons together but so far no one seemed to be concerned with the weather and its odd behavior. 

And now there was autumn. Baba Yaga told him that Akasha asked her for a potion against headache and she seemed to run out of energy quickly. She acted happy but Milton could tell that something wasn’t alright with her and it wasn’t getting any better. More like the other way. So if the inner world of a Quill is closely knit with the outer appearance of the nature what would have to happen to cause a winter time here? Milton shivered. Some questions are better left unanswered.

ᴥ  
Meanwhile the girl in question skipped through the Dark forest. It was the more dangerous part of the woods that took a large part of the Land but Akasha wasn’t afraid. She was in a deep, ancient or mysterious forests before and although she knew she may be attacked by something she knew many a defense move, too. That was why when she heard two hushed voices behind some thorny bushes her natural curiosity drew her near to the speakers. After all eavesdropping on the people that came from her imagination isn’t bad. 

“I smell someone, are you sure no one followed you?” The first voice was a lot deeper and the whisper sounded more like a growl. “What good nose you have. I hate to go but I thought I heard something just now.” “Then we must depart. I’m sorry. I know you miss me but we can’t let anyone see as like this. But as soon as the winterbreak starts I’m going to make up for all the lost time and no one is going to stop me, not even Grimm.”

Hidden secrets to be uncovered! That was something Akasha loved. The girl carefully peeked out of the bush to see who was talking. Wait a minute isn’t that the teacher of the villains Mr Badwolf and Cerise Hood. They were together. Alone. In a dark place. Should she jump out of her hideout and save the hooded girl? No, they were afraid but not of each other. 

“Deal, dad?” Smirked the black haired girl at the manwolf. “Deal,” the big bad wolf has ruffled her hair under the hood. The hood shifted a bit so Akasha could see one furry ear peeking from under the hood. “Hood chicka bow-wow, did the furry guy actually rode Little Red?!” Thought Akasha while diving back into the thicket before anyone sees her. 

The wolf man did look very similar to Little Cerise Riding Hood as Akasha noticed earlier but to be honest she didn’t pay much attention to it. What’s with the headache and all. Not to mention that even though the fairy tales here seemed to play out in a rather traditional version a dream can just as easily feature one or two fractured ones. 

And what did the fuzzy fellow say about headmaster Milton? That he may try to stop him from seeing his daughter? Why would he do that? 

This is it, I need to see someone who can give me clear answers. Err, well, as clear as I can get with a translator anyway…

ᴥ

“Hi Kitty, they finally let you out. That’s great,” smiled Akasha when she appeared in the village of Book end and she saw a familiar ever-grinning face. The doctors have decided that Kitty is healthy and will stay that way if she keeps following certain rules. Other than that she can go wherever she wants to. And went she did. She could easily teleport herself to her dorm room but Kitty wasn’t one to take straight ways if she smelled an opportunity to prank someone and she knew that there’s always one in the village. 

This is where she saw her quilly friend. “I was looking for Maddie but she’s busy somewhere else. But since you’re from Wonderland you’re good in riddlish too, right?” Kitty grinned mischievously so Akasha took it as a yes: “I’m looking for someone who would help me translate some riddlish into a normal, I mean, a language I can actually understand. Would you help me?”

Kitty pretended to be really busy licking her arms. She was great at riddlish but the cat girl wasn’t interested in doing anybody a favor. Maybe if Akasha offered her a reward in return… The cat’s musings were interrupted by something that did caught her interest after all. She heard voices. 

Male Narrator: “The little Reader has witnessed the secret meeting of a father and daughter.  
Brooke: You guys knew about Cerise being the daughter of Badwolf and you didn’t tell me?”  
Female Narrator: “Sorry, sweetie, but there were many other important happenings. Now concentrate, we have a tale to tell.”  
Male Narrator: “As I was telling: Akasha learned that Badwolf and Cerise are parts of one family. She looks confused and seeks somebody who speaks riddlish. “  
Brooke: “Does she want to visit Giles? Am I right? Am I?”  
Female Narrator: “Calm down, Brooke. Watch closely and you will see what happens.”

“Meow,” Kitty felt a rush of hexcitement going from her head to tail and back. This is it, the prank she itched to pull. She almost succeeded the first time but her second try will be even better. Kitty looked up from her paw and grinned happily at the Reader girl: “What do you need?” “Listen, you will like this one: In one of the rooms under the school is locked a mysterious man who talks only in riddles.” 

“I know,” purred Kitty. Maddie told her that she has an old friend down in the Vault and Kitty herself visited him once but he bored her soon so she didn’t bother to find out who he is and what is he doing there. “I really need to see him and ask him a few questions,” Akasha began to pace around Kitty: “Maddie mentioned something about him being Grimm’s brother but Milton isn’t looking for him. Anyway I wanted to ask him why would the headmaster be against certain people loving each other and having children?”

“Like a good main character loving the villain of her tale, for example,” purred Kitty right into Akasha’s ear. The reader pulled herself back a bit and looked a bit suspiciously at the cat girl: “Yeah, something like that.” Kitty looked from one side to the other: “You’re lucky you’ve met me because this is secretly rebelish stuff-thing. We mustn’t let any Royal know about this or we would be in trouble.” Kitty’s body disappeared and only her grin stayed in one place then it turned upside down into a frown. 

Then the Cheshire kitten resumed her full form: “Wait until tomorrow, I will get my friend who is a full Rebel and knows a lot about the secrets of this school, together with the old man from underground we will answer everything you may want to ask.” With those words she disappeared completely. “

“Catfish is a fish even when wearing pelt not scales*,” mumbled the red haired girl as her trickster friend left the realm. Wait, did I just talk in riddlish? Akasha waited for a while if the cat, or at least her grin, won’t come back but no body part showed up so she went to school her head full of thoughts. 

*The cat is fishy.

ᴥ

“Are you going to teach me something new, Milton?” “In fact I am.” Giggle. 

“Is it something about the fairy tales? Can I look into the book?” “No.” Moaning. 

Akasha once again ended up in Milton Grimm’s office. Since she couldn’t understand a word his brother says and the students only made her even more confused he was the only source of information. And information she needed if she wanted to wake up ever again. 

Time to start practicing lockpicking. If this dream is going to continue any longer I may as well read this big fancy book Milton cherishes so much.

“Ok, so what is it you want to show me?” “You’re a very talented young sorceress but can you concoct a potion,” Grimm tried to appeal to her vanity. “I know some recipes. What do we have here,” Akasha ran her fingers around the line of potion ingredients. Some were rather ordinary like sulfur or mercury but there were also some exotic ones like fairy dust or nymph’s hair. Her stare stopped at the jar of salamander scales. She was sure her teachers taught her a recipe that involved them. Maybe an ointment against burns? Or a super powered gunpowder? Curses, I can’t remember how it went. Never mind. Next. A jug of crocodile tears? That’s good for-. For what damn it! Calm down, Akasha, you can do it. Just don’t panic.

She had to calm down. Go to her quiet place. Find her inner peace. And all the other phrases sifu Wu used when talking about meditation. This is it! If she can’t awaken from here – this new, strange dream – maybe she can return to reality from the truest oasis of her mind. Her shelter.

ᴥ

She left. Just like that. One second she was there, she disappeared the next. Without uttering a single word. Milton frowned. Maybe he should have started with teaching her proper behavior first. 

ᴥ

Shellter was her shelter. With double l as it was a pun on how Wu was referring to her as Zhenzhu which meant pearl in Chinese. Shellter was a small portion of land surrounded by a thick pearly mist. In the middle of the grassy land stood a tall yellow daffodil. Taller than some trees. This daffodil was holding what looked like a massive red Chinese styled lantern. Truthfully it was a one room house with the plant serving as its pillar. Shellter was Akasha’s plantern house. 

There in front of the plantern Akasha put a pillow she took from her house on the grass. Then she took a seat in the prescribed lotus position and cleared her thoughts. After a while she tried to remember the potions her mentors taught her but her mind was as empty as before. The girl cleared her mind once again to prevent disappointment from hampering any other abilities and tried to force herself to wake up. Another attempt was unsuccessful. 

Aargh! What the hell is happening with my brain?! I can suddenly speak a language I’ve never heard before but the recipes I’ve learnt have vanished out of my brain completely?! What’s more I can’t wake from this sleep. 

Then something crossed Akasha’s mind. What if the time in this dream isn’t that much slower than in the waking world? What if she has fallen in a slumber so deep that she is sleeping for several days and nights straight? Her parents must be freaking out. 

And what if she won’t be able to wake up ever again?


	14. Memory 6

Sifu Wu held a jar filled with black ink. “You must mix the ink with a drop of your blood,” the Chinese looking figment of her fantasy put a knife in her hand to let her cut herself. But Akasha had different plan. This world is powered by her imagination so it is her who makes the rules, she thought, any bodily liquid will work. 

“Blood my leg,” she muttered as she spat into the jar when Wu wasn’t looking. The ink reacted with the saliva and turned dark red. Then her teacher told her to put a paintbrush into the magical liquid and start painting something.

Akasha began with doodles of simple bird and butterfly silhouettes. The enchanted blood ink drawings came to life for a while before they dispersed in the air. 

ᴥ

Blood ink became Akasha’s first weapon of choice and she carried a flask and a paintbrush anywhere. She was cross dominant, relying on her left hand to hold both pen while writing or paintbrush when summoning some magical doodle. She used it often for both fighting or simply to amuse herself. Wu wasn’t happy she was using her saliva instead of blood but his protests meant nothing as Akasha saw that the blood ink works exactly as well with or without blood. 

One day her imaginary teacher appeared in front of her while she was playing with animated ink doodles again. He was silently observing her and her creations before he spoke up: “I see you’ve mastered the blood ink, angmo, but what you don’t know is that this technique has a sister. 

One day you will have to leave the dreams of your childhood behind however painful it may sound to you now. This trick will help you, should you ever feel like getting stuck in a nightmare. Listen well, in order to activate the Indigone acid you will have to…”

ᴥ

Some days – or better nights – later she asked about the spell her other teachers: “Is it really possible to get stuck in a dream? Not being able to wake up?” Then she told them about the technique Wu told her about. The stuff she would conjure sounded powerful but icky and nasty at the same time. So Akasha didn’t exactly know what to think about it.

The two women shrugged. They were full of mistrust about this technique but they didn’t know how it works so they had to be careful about the matter. Jane took her word: “There indeed is some possibility you might not be able to leave a dream but that spell Wu taught you sounds dangerous. Should you ever need to break out of a dream, please, try to find another solution first.” “Remember, some techniques are more dangerous than others and the consequences may be dire,” added Charlotte. 

Having heard those warnings Akasha decided to never use this technique. Only as the last resort if she ever were so desperate. However once a lethal weapon exists, it’s only a matter of time it will be used eventually.


	15. The Haunting Lullaby part 2

She’s trapped in her own mind. Every other day waking up would be easy as ABC and now her subconsciousness is apparently doing everything it can to keep her conscious thoughts in a state of neverending dreaming. 

I’ve tried to recall some knowledge, I’ve tried to wake up and nothing happened. The only thing left is to try to call my past dream mentors. And if that doesn’t work… Akasha didn’t want to think of the worst possible outcome. There is always time for thoughts like that. 

Right now she must pull herself together and try every solution that won’t have any negative side effects that comes to mind. Back to the teachers, she reprimanded herself, you must call them. There is still one left. Hopefully he will come up with something that doesn’t involve that ultimate technique of his.

The older she got, the more Wu tried to persuade her to never come back lucid dreaming again because one day she may find herself trapped in her dreams forever. She didn’t listen to him partly because she took Wu’s words as metaphor for escapism and growing up and partly because the idea of having this world of her own was too good to let it pass. She didn’t thought that it can be taken so literally. Or maybe she secretly wished to lose herself in dreams for real? 

So there she is unable to return to the world of the wakeful, that means bracing herself for Wu scolding her and insisting she leave her dreams, but at least he will come. 

At first Akasha thought she was ready to accept that maybe it is possible that a time has come when her imagination formed new images to substitute her former imaginary friend-tutors,  
but in the last hours she felt a growing need to reconnect with the older ones again. They are the only ones that know her best. They are after all parts of her own ego. 

The earth girl concentrated on the image of her master. And slowly but surely he was appearing. But his appearance was distorted. It was like seeing Wu on the horizon across a hot terrain. The swirling and stirring of the warm air making his silhouette all blurry and constantly moving. But he was there, Akasha wasn’t alone anymore 

“Master Wu, I’m so glad you’re here.” He was opening his mouth but Akasha didn’t hear a word he may have said. 

With Wu mute and Jane and Charlotte gone, there was no one to offer her guidance. It’s ok, I have had nightmares before I will manage to get out of this mess like any time before, she told herself. But somehow these words sounded emptier than ever before. 

ᴥ

With no better idea in mind she returned to the fairy tale school. She appeared in front of the large portrait of Jane and Charlotte in headmaster’s office. The ladies smiled as kindly as ever.  
“Why aren’t you answering my calls?” she tapped at the frame. Then a heavy hand has fallen on her shoulder. Everyone else would be startled but Akasha was only mildly surprised. Her ability to feel the presence of others has saved her from a shock again. 

Right, she wasn’t fully abandoned there are her two new dream teachers. She mustn’t forget that.

“Has no one told you that it’s impolite to leave in the middle of a lesson,” sneered Milton.   
“I can go wherever I want,” it was more of a statement than a snappy comeback of a brash child. But Milton has had it dealing with headstrong kids. His face reddened he forced her to look at him.

“Listen well, you unruly nuisance, if you think you can do anything you want without paying for it you’re dead wrong. I had enough to deal with before you showed up and now I have to look after a clingy and demanding brat like you. I’m the headmaster of this school so either you start following my rules or you can leave. Right now.” Grimm was practically screaming when he finished his speech.

 

She froze. They stood like this for about two seconds. A big man shooting a withering look at a terrified small child. Then it has begun with a quivering chin, the eyes filled with stinging salty liquid and her nose was running. Akasha has cracked. 

“I want… to… go home,” was all she managed to say between the breathing and sobbing. The hissing like sound and shouts from behind the Headmaster’s back were a dead giveaway that it has started to rain. The large man ashamed of himself made a few steps back. 

She cried some more. This time, however, without trying to say anything. Her lungs using all her breath to weep. When the stream of her tears slowed down and she managed to breathe through stuffy nose she whispered: “I want mummy and daddy.” 

Curses, great job, Milton, you’ve made a child cry. She may have misbehaved a bit but that was no excuse for scaring the wits out of her. And there was another thing, he realized in hindsight. It was painfully similar to another incident that happened two and a quarter years ago. He took out his frustration from running the school on both of them. He turned to face the pouring rain in the window.

It was as if he forgot the purpose of setting up the school in the first place. They wanted to help and protect. Everyone but especially the young ones who need counsel and support. And now there is a child who lost her way and all he cares about is politics. It was true. He wanted to find out more about her but all he did was making sure she wouldn’t support the Rebels. 

When he calmed down enough, Grimm smoothed his hair and made a step towards her. Akasha immediately raised her hands as if to protect her head. He slowly crouched to her lowering his eye level closer to her own: “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.” Akasha peeked from under her defense and when she saw that Milton meant no harm she put them down. 

He ruffled her hair and put his own handkerchief in her hand when her sleeve began moving dangerously close to her nose. “Now tell me, where have you been the last twenty minutes when not at home?”

ᴥ

Lovely fresh petrichor scent has filled the air, the plants adorned with dew were happily drinking their unexpected meal and the witches were looking for a rich mushroom harvest. Even Akasha was feeling a lot better now that she has accidentally confessed her homesickness. Then she told Milton how she couldn’t remember the potion recipes and that she went to her secret place to gather her thoughts. 

Now she was sipping a mug of hot cocoa Mrs Trollsworth has brought her together with some cookies. A pair of half-dwarves has brought an old but still well kept sofa from the underground. Grimm had a plan. He wanted to see if the strange apparition from previous nights returns and what is its intent. Therefore he set a sleeping place for his tiny friend in his office. He himself was about to keep vigil from his chair.

Milton counted on Akasha’s tiredness to fall asleep in no time. She didn’t disappoint him. But she wasn’t the only one. Despite his best efforts the headmaster soon dozed off as well. The piece of furniture is indeed very comfortable. 

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star.   
How I wonder what you are!   
Up above the world so high,   
Like a diamond in the sky.” 

Grimm woke up with a jerk of his head. He had to blink several times to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. No, the song and the singer were truly there in the room. Though it was more of a see through human silhouette than a full fledged person. Still this ghost-like being managed to produce a sound and it was striking the child’s cheek. The soothing voice and the touch were way too gentle to wake someone as overcome by fatigue and homesickness as Akasha. 

“When the blazing sun is gone,  
When he nothing shines upon,  
Then you show your little light,  
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.”

He slowly stood up to take a better look at the spectre. It was the same apparition that he saw the night Akasha moved to Ever After High. The figure was translucent and colorless but he still recognized her even though he had no idea how it was possible for her to appear. “Beatrice,” he whispered bewildered. The barely visible lady stopped singing and nodded. The silence grew longer. Then the spirit lady gestured Milton to join her. He hesitated. He felt awkward and it took him some time to remember the next stanza. But when he finally began the weirdness left as if blown away by all four wind deities. It was nice to do something together after all this time.

“Then the traveler in the dark  
Thanks you for your tiny sparks;  
He could not see which way to go,  
If you did not twinkle so.”

The ghostly woman nodded again. Then something formed in her hands. A phantom sandglass. As wispy and translucent as she was. The tiny silvery sand corns falling gracefully to the lower part. Then the spirit vanished into the thin air like all the nights before. Leaving his beloved with a growing list of questions.

Once was sure, if the soul of his long lost love has chosen to be the guardian angel of this strange little girl, then he will do his damnedest not to let down neither of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note:   
> Here, have some feels.
> 
> I tell you. One of the greatest agonies in the world is caused by the crucial scenes you imagine in your head. The words, the atmosphere. But it takes you a freaking year of writing to get to them. And this chapter contains only one of those story pillars. I’m so glad it’s finally out of my system.


	16. Memory 7

An average bus station is a witness to many stories in every world. This one stood in the real Great Britain and the only one standing there was a nerdy looking young man. Later two girls came. Correction – one came and one was sitting on a wheel chair. The brown haired man glances at the girls. The black cutie in the wheel chair has both of her legs, a victim of a spine damage probably? Her friend has bright red hair, two differently colored eyes and an unlit cigarette in her mouth.

The girls noticed they were being watched but they didn’t mind and continued to talk freely. Then the black one – the more the observer has watched her the more sickly she looked – turned to her friend and gasped: “I can’t believe you of all people would do something as stupid as smoking! Do you really want to end up like me?” With those words the ill girl snatches the unlit cigarette from the other one’s mouth. “Hey, relax, it doesn’t do anything if it’s not on fire,” smirked the second one. 

As soon the bus arrived the red haired one helped her friend get on and both have left the brown haired, glasses wearing guy behind. He didn’t mind as he was lost in his own world, hastily scribbling something on a scrap of paper he found in his bag. 

ᴥ

Karen has put the letter from hospital aside and her own head into her hands. Her nemesis, a terrible illness has returned and it meant she would have to go through months of life force sucking therapy. Therapy that may not even destroy her foe completely but only weaken it before it defeats her for good one day. 

However she didn’t have time for despair as a sound of their house ring broke her sad thoughts. Karen was sure she knew who was coming over. She thought, but she was ready to admit it was a silly thought, that the ring sounded differently when it was rung by Zelda. 

She shoved the bad news letter into a drawer and ran to the door. “Hi Karen,” her cheerful friend stood there ready to make her feel good again. “Come in, Zelda. What story are you going to tell me today?” 

ᴥ

Mrs. Tolkien asked Zelda if she would help her ease her patients’ time they have to spend in the hospital. The department Mrs. Tolkien worked in was a famous clinic for cancer treatment and it specialized in treating children. Zelda’s parents wanted their daughter to socialize more so they suggested she could tell the ill children stories and help them with school assignments. 

ᴥ

One day her friend went missing. All she saw was an empty bed where Karen was lying some twelve hours before. 

“Why do all those stories about getting strong for the ones you love exist when you can’t even save your friend in the end?!” She shouted drenched and furious into the dark clouds pregnant with rain and lightning. Nothing made her feel so helpless as the real world.

ᴥ

Once a prodigy, now a loser. Zelda thought about herself bitterly as she was thinking about the last days of her life as an university student. She was glad that the school year was finally over. It was getting harder and harder to kick herself into writing school papers and studying for the final exams. The girl considered it a miracle she passed them all. Now she will have to find and keep a job. More faking of smiles to come. Just great.


	17. Day 8 1/3 - Preparing for the Hexam

It was the first day that Raven has woken up sooner than Apple ever did. When the fairest roommate opened her eyes and yawned in a very graceful and delicate fashion she was surprised to find her wannabe-not-villainess sitting cross legged on her bed bent over her textbooks. It was surprising because Apple was the more studious of these two. Not that Raven was a true slacker but to actually set her alarm clock to wake her so soon and to read her study material so thoroughly that simply wasn’t her style. Usually. 

Apple glanced at the book titles. Everything was about magic. White magic, black magic, curses, potions, enchanted amulets and so on. The princess smiled. Raven may claim being a Rebel from dusk to dawn but when it comes to magic there is no one who takes this stuff so passionately as her. Maybe except Faybelle. 

“Good morning, Raven.” The dark princess didn’t move a finger and still peered into her hextbooks quietly murmuring an incantation to an old spell. Apple cleared her throat. Her roommate jerked and looked up at her. “Hi…,” she muttered slightly disoriented. “Did I wake you up? Sorry,” Raven looked honestly worried because of her roommate’s waking up.  
“No, silly, I got up on my own. It’s morning already.” “Morning? The classes start in hour and half and I still didn’t finish this book about summoning familiars,” Raven threw a wistful glance at the stack of books on her nightstand and papers scattered on her bed but she got up to brush her hair and get dressed. 

“Alright, I will get us some coffee. It will freshen you up,” said Apple as she was done with her mourning routine. Raven simply nodded, she was getting half lost in her thoughts about the upcoming hexam. It was making her nervous. Not just the amount of stuff she will have to cram into her brain but there was one particular aspect about her own spell casting that was bugging her even more.

Her magic was emotionally driven but when she tried doing good deeds it often failed. It was the rule breaking, fear inducing and harmful side of magic that brought the most success. Raven sighed. There was still so much to learn about and the hexam was just around the corner. 

ᴥ

It didn’t surprise him to see that Akasha was still asleep. Seeing her huddled on the coach has brought back the memory of the previous night. Just several hours ago he sang a lullaby to her together with a ghost of his long lost love. He was amazed to see the spirit of Beatrice but it was also reassuring to know that the specter visiting Akasha every night wasn’t some malevolent phantom. 

“Wake up,” he tugged at her ear lightly. “Do I really have to get up,” yawned the girl. “It’s so warm in here and outside is so cold. Brrr,” she acted shivering from cold. She yawned again: “Phew, I feel like I could sleep all day. I will have to get a big breakfast to get enough energy.” She looked at her current caretaker to discover that Milton was lost in his own thoughts and wasn’t listening to her complaints.

She skipped to him and tugged at his arm: “You’re the headmaster. People like you have a lot of papers, right?” Grimm raised an eyebrow: “What do you want this time? Some paper to draw on? Better I give you some or you may end up decorating the walls or something similarly smart.” He went to his desk to find some scratch pad. “Actually I wanted to ask for a schedule. For the second year students. That way I won’t have to run through the whole school when I want to meet my friends for a chat.” Fair enough. Akasha proved to be more reasonable than he assumed her to be. “Although some spare sheets of paper won’t hurt either. I might make some paper planes later today,” smiled the girl innocently.

ᴥ

It is a common habit of squirrels to start gathering nuts and food in general when the temperature drops and the breath of wind gets cold. Except that’s not very common behavior for squirrels that didn’t have to sleep through winter in their entire lives. 

“Pesky, you don’t need all that food. There will be no winter in the Land of Ever After. Nor you nor the other squirrels will starve,” Hunter shook his head. “He must be confused. In the land where I come from we get snow so Pesky is used to hibernate but he was here last year and it was warm. Maybe he thinks it was just unusually long summer,” the brown haired boy shrugged at his girlfriend who came to check on the forest creatures. 

“I have seen birds flocking together. Do you think they will try to fly to south,” Ashlynn asked, she was just as bewildered as her boyfriend. Hunter hugged his girl. “It’s almost as if they knew something we don’t,” he whispered.

ᴥ

“Come in,” yelled the witch princess when she heard the knocking. The visitor didn’t bother to open the door instead the very well-know figure of a small redheaded child transported itself right into the room. “Look at my paper of clairvoyance,” the girl flailed her arm, ‘now you shan’t be able to hide from me for I will find you anywhere.” Akasha was holding her schedule. 

“Congratulations. But I can’t play with you I have to learn about hundred hexes so I don’t embarrass myself in front of Madame Yaga and the rest of the committee,” sighed Raven.   
“I didn’t come to disturb you. I know that it’s a vital part of our plan,” Akasha patted Raven’s shoulder, “I’m simply checking on you.” The small girl looked over the pile of books on the blanket: “It reminds me I haven’t asked how the exam looks like.” Akasha shifted some of the papers to sat on Raven’s bed and listened to her explanation. “It has two parts. First comes the written exam and then I will have to show my practical skills.” “Ok,” Akasha shrugged, there wasn’t much else to say. 

“I have taken magic hexam before to get to the level I am now but I have never had to learn for two exams at once. It’s a lot of stuff,” the dark princess sighed again glancing over the piles of books and papers. The door opened and closed, somebody came in. “Oh, hi Akasha,” it was Apple who came in from the castleteria carrying a bag with some food. “You shouldn’t skip your meals, Raven,” the princess handed the bag to her roommate. 

“Sorry but I don’t think I will be able to hold anything in my stomach until this hexam business is over,” sighed Raven. “I don’t get so nervous usually. I passed a number of school hexams already. They were from magical and non-magical subjects. But this time…,” the witchy princess didn’t finish the sentence. “This time you’re afraid that something will go awry because you have good intentions,” it was her roommate who hurried to her help. Raven could always count on Apple to voice her deepest fears. 

Akasha listened carefully and asked the dark princess: “ If I understand it correctly, your magic gets out of control when you want to do something good?” The young witch flashed a grin of embarrassment. “That does throw a wrench in our plan, doesn’t it,” Akasha rubbed her chin trying to come up with a way out of this blind alley. When she came up with something she gazed right into the dark princess’s eyes: “Say, Raven, what is your opinion about cheating?” 

Raven pondered the question and a memory flashed before her eyes. Some fairytales have automatically assumed that cheating is for Raven as natural as breathing – her being kid of the Evil Queen and all – but frankly Raven wanted everyone to have the same chance at winning and she would rather enjoy the game itself not just the winning part. “I don’t cheat. It’s not right,” said Raven and the moment she said that it dawned on her: “Usually. But I am willing to make an hexception this time.” “You suggest Raven should cheat so she does something bad to ensure her powers will work? That’s brilliant,” laughed Apple. Akasha grinned happy to be appreciated: “That’s my plan.”

The small girl motioned the bigger girls to come closer to her and she whispered: “Here’s the battle strategy: I will learn part of the spells and rites for the exam. That way Raven doesn’t have to learn so much at once. When the day comes I will disguise myself as something small to hide from the teachers. Then you, Raven, will take me to the examination room. Together we will ace the test and knock the socks off the committee. It will be cheating so it will counter-act the good intentions about saving Mr. Giles and it will bring us closer to really free him.” The girls agreed on this plan but Akasha had one more base to cover.

“One more thing: Is Mr. Milton part of the committee?” Raven thought about it for a moment and then she shrugged: “Headmaster Grimm does check on us from time to time.”   
Akasha nodded: “Then we will have to keep him busy, he could see through our plan.” She didn’t tell them that she is able to sense his presence and isn’t sure if he isn’t able to do the same.

“I will do it!” Akasha and Raven turned to the source of the yell. “I will distract headmaster Grimm,” Apple blushed. The others looked at her with puzzled faces. Apple wants to assist them with cheating? Willingly? “Admirable courage, princess, your self-sacrifice shall never be forgotten,” Akasha bowed to her in an exaggerated fashion. “Well, it is for a noble cause,” the fairest princess laughed coyly. “So be it,” Akasha closed their discussion and sat in a chair: “Now hand me a book so I can start with our plan right away.” 

ᴥ

Even when the girls had to go to a class or a school club meeting Akasha stayed in their room because wandering around the schoolyard with Raven’s hextbooks would be suspicious and no one was looking for her anyway. 

No one except for Kitty Cheshire. The cat girl itched to pull – according to her not-the-least-humble-opinion – perfect prank. Her tail waved excitedly when she noticed one of her victim-mates.

“Hi Cedar, I’m glad I’ve found you,” the Cheshire cub appeared right next to the woodling.  
“Hi Kitty, you were looking for me? You don’t want to prank me do you?” The puppet girl put a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be so mistrustful but you pull pranks on anyone. And not all of them are very funny. Sorry again. You know, my curse,” the girl looked at the cat awkwardly. The bark on her cheeks darkening as her wood ‘blushed’. “I’m not hurt, dear Cedar, not at all. Actually I need a little help with a school project and I think you’re just the right person for it.” Kitty couldn’t have worded it any better. Cedar was ready to help just about anyone: “I will do my best if it involves art.” “But can we talk somewhere where we will be alone. It’s supposed to be a surprise,” well, she wasn’t lying.

Cedar hesitated for a second but unwilling to let anyone hanging she agreed to be transported through the In-Between space, as the Cheshire cats call it, to a quiet place.

ᴥ

When Kitty got near Raven or Apple that she heard the Narrators talk about the Reader child being in the princesses room so this is where the cat girl and Cedar dove out of the In-Between space.

Akasha noticed their presence and looked up from her study material: “Hi, Kitty, are you going to visit Giles with me today?” “First you need to meet Cedar,” Kitty pushed Cedar’s back to force her step forward. “Oh, we have seen each other already,” said the red haired reader. “You’re the one who scared the poor hutling,” remembered the girl made of wood. 

Akasha shrugged: “I was only trying out my new wand. Hey Kitty, is this the friend who will shed some light on the secret why is the headmaster against Cerise meeting her dad Wolf? I mean they see each other in this school every day but they only talk to each other when they are alone in the woods.”

“Cerise’s father is Mr. Badwolf?” The words flew out of her mouth way too quickly for Cedar to stop herself from saying them aloud. “Yup. It seems to me that the Red Riding Hood had an affair with your furry teacher. I guess they didn’t stop at drinking wine in grandma’s bed when Cerise happened,” Akasha grinned stupidly but she stopped when noticing Cedar’s look of utter shock. The reader girl turned to the Cheshire kitten: „You sure you brought the right person? Cedar here doesn’t seem to know about the issue too much either. We should really go to see Giles Grimm. I bet he would tell us more.” 

While saying that she didn’t take her eyes of the puppet maiden. She had no idea a person carved out of dark wood could turn that pale like Cedar just did. “You look sick. Are you alright?” “No. No, I’m not alright,” Miss Wood has confirmed Akasha’s suspicion. “Do you want me to take you to Madame Yaga? She once gave me a remedy, maybe she could help you, too,” suggested Akasha.

But Cedar shook her head: “I will go to my room. I’m too sick to go anywhere.” It was true she was feeling awful, physically as well as mentally. Saying this she left the room and hid in her own bed. She knew that with the spell put on her she mustn’t go outside anymore for she wouldn’t trust herself around any teacher or schoolmate not to blurt out what she learned to anyone. The other girls were shy around Cedar. They didn’t want to tell her their secrets out of fear of her telling it to everyone but their gossiping was a laughable matter in comparison to the secret she held in her chest now. 

ᴥ  
Raven stopped at the library to check out some more books. A familiar figure dove out of the shadows. “Wow, Raven, what big stack of books you’ve got there,” Cerise grinned, her teeth flashed from under the hood. “You know the end of the semester is almost upon us and I have this hextra important exam coming,” Raven shrugged. 

The wolf girl nodded: “If you aren’t careful enough Blondie may make you and the hexam the stars of her new mirrorcast.” Raven gulped. It was as much a warning as it was a joke because Blondie was ready to report about anything remotely interesting. Be it rivalry between school beauties or a new couple making up in the Enchanted Forest.

“What about you,” the witch princess changed the subject because in all honesty thinking 24/7 about the exam was getting a bit nauseating. Now it was Cerise’s turn to shrug: “It’s alright, I guess. Mom hasn’t reported any trouble so I hope my hextended family is making it work so far. Fortunately the word still didn’t got out of the valley.” A few months ago Cerise let the cat, well more of a wolf really, out of the bag and told the Hoods and the Wolfs that she’s part of both communities. Thankfully she beat everyone at the basket race and so she won the right to stay with her family in the Hood valley. Good thing the Hoods were so secretive and in a sense protective of one of their own so they didn’t spread the secret any further but even Cerise being half-human, half-wolf wasn’t the perfect insurance for an everlasting peace between the Wolves and Hoods. 

“It’s my roomie who’s making me worry.” Raven widened her eyes in fear: “Did Cedar say anything?” Cerise shook her head: “In the contrary. Cedar’s giving me the silent treatment. I wonder if I said something offensive to her.” Raven raised an eyebrow. It was hard to imagine the hooded girl insulting someone. Cerise tried to avoid conflict to remain as unobtrusive as possible but an occasional slip of the tongue probably happens to anyone, concluded the witchling. 

The wolf girl continued with the story: “Coming into our room I saw her huddled in blankets I said ‘You look as my grandma’. I meant it as a joke but she almost started crying. When I asked what’s wrong she covered her face with a pillow.” “Ok, that makes me worried, too,” admitted Raven. 

ᴥ

Cedar was thirsty. She did lack many feelings and sensations her more human schoolmates experienced like physical pain or the feeling of feeling of having a crush on someone but she was still a living being. Even a wooden body has needs and living plant has to be watered enough. She didn’t want to go out of her hiding spot but sooner or later she will have to drink something. And she will see someone. Either Cerise will return to her room or some worried friend will come check on her. 

The secret still plagued her. It was like a knot on her intestines if she had any or like a lump in her throat that wanted to get out instead of being gulped down. She tried to yell it into the pillow but even though the sound of her speech was muffled, she didn’t feel any relief. Damned curse. Why does it have to be something that could potentially harm my friends. For if someone were to know that Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf secretly married… Would Grimm expel Cerise and kick Mr Badwolf out? 

She could go Mr Badwolf! She would say it directly to him and apologize for knowing about his family. She didn’t learn about the secret out of malice, for Grimm’s sake. I don’t care what this villain will do to me but I have to protect Cerise. Come to think of it, maybe Mr Badwolf isn’t so bad after all when he fell in love with the Red Hood. Oh my, that makes it all so much worse if I get their family in trouble. 

Therefore Cedar thought up a plan. She will run through the common room and get to the General villainy class room as soon as possible. Villains are usually alone due to them being surrounded by their evil aura so he will be alone and no one will be able to hear Cedar’s confession. The puppet girl got out of her bed. She was still terrified but feeling a tiny bit fierce as well.


	18. Day 8 2/3 - The Big Bad Luck

The halls were empty. Cedar was glad all students were studious enough to attend classes today. For the girl that had a truth telling spell put on her has heard a dangerous secret she has to keep hidden from anyone as not to harm her friend. 

Cedar moved in a combination of skulking and carefree walk. If she tried to look as unnoticeable as possible she failed miserably. Her heart, or whatever organ was keeping her alive, was skipping a beat every time she heard something. One sound too many and she lost it. Cedar slipped into the Common room, planning to wait for the other person to pass. Unfortunately the common wasn’t empty.

On sofas and chair around one of the low tables that filled the place sat two girls. Rosabella and Blondie were discussing something over a mirrorpad, plastic cups with coffee and a stack of papers ready for whatever work is to be done. 

“You aren’t in class,” remarked Cedar. Cursed curse! Engaging them in a conversation was the least she wanted. But the girls weren’t offended and maybe they didn’t even notice her nervousness. Rosabella shrugged: “We are studying. We have a group project. To choose a land and write a report about its history, most famous product, customs. Yadda, yadda.” Kingdom management. Blondie’s mother wasn’t technically a queen, more like a mayor, but calling it the Kingdom, town and village management was too much of a mouthful. 

“And we have to research a land we our parents reign in. So I can’t write about the Balmed village and Rosabella can’t analyze the beast kingdom,” Blondie chimed in, “and why aren’t you in a class?” “I’m sick,” said Cedar hurriedly. “But you’re made of wood, how can somebody like you get ill,” Blondie asked. Rosabella nudged her. “I was just asking,” mumbled the blonde girl.

Cedar had to bite her tongue. Fortunately for her she didn’t hurt herself doing it. Her wooden body parts were very sturdy. She concentrated on the Kingdom management project: “So have you chosen which land you will write a paper about?” “I would like to write about Narnia. There are talking bears. I like those,” giggled Blondie. “What about Oz? Or Neverland,” Cedar was throwing random names into the pool to keep the conversation away from her internal conflict. 

“I should be going by now,” said Cedar and covered her mouth with her hand. Rosabella thought she was covering her mouth like people do when they cough: “I doubt we will catch it from you. We have different metabolisms since you’re made of wood and we aren’t. Cedar broke into a nervous chuckle and quickly covered her mouth again before she could blurt out something.

She looked so obviously guilty that even the dullest knife in the drawer would know there’s something suspicious about her. “You’re weird. More than usual,” Blondie raised an eyebrow. “Blondie!” Rosabella scolded her friend. “It’s true. Look at her. That’s not a way to act when you catch a flu. It’s as if a tiny bear is gnawing away on Cedar’s conscience Which is ridiculous. Cedar is nice. She would never hurt a fly.” “Not a fly but-.“ Curses. The situation is getting out of hand. Rosabella pushed her glasses higher. Blondie had a point, now she saw it too. 

“Is it about a secret,” the daughter of the beauty got right to the point. Cedar widened her eyes in horror but she fought with all her willpower to keep her lips pressed firmly together and tongue bitten.“Blondie, you have to promise to never tell anyone,” Rosabella turned to her study partner. Blondie hesitated. “Ok, I promise.” She looked visibly uncomfortable because it wasn’t easy for her to give up something that could be a promising scoop. But Cedar looked really uncomfortable. Blondie lowered her head in defeat. When it helps someone it’s worth to let the information slip. “Now, Cedar, please tell us, what is troubling you?” 

The girls were so focused on Cedar they didn’t notice they weren’t alone in the room. 

ᴥ

At first Kitty hoped that Cedar would blurt it all out to someone random but the girl chose a deliberate silent exile in her room. That wasn’t the fun Kitty has expected. Patience wasn’t one of Kitty’s virtues so she wandered off to find other amusement but she didn’t forget about the prank she set. No-o. Now after having a lunch and a generous portion of frozen yoghurt (extra creamy) as dessert she returned to see how the situation has developed.

To her pleasant surprise she found Cedar walking through the dorm. She materialized briefly  
She could step very lightly, she could be sneaky because she was a cat after all. She chose to startle her prey instead. Just as she thought the puppet girl was scared by the loud steps, she was afraid someone is approaching and slipped into the nearest common room. But the wooden Cedar miscalculated that in common rooms are usually people, too. Meow, having Cedar meet Blondie now there are possibilities. 

While the girls talked the Cheshire kitten flew over to Blondie’s unguarded mirrorpad. She pushed the record button and soon found out how to set up the net streaming. With a slight chuckle on her lips she faded back to the In-Between space. 

ᴥ

All mirrors connected to the broadcasting network flashed. In the castleteria, In the passages, in front of the gymnastics hall. The heads turned to the displays. Those who subscribed to Blondie’s broadcast have checked their notifications about the new streaming video.

At first they all were confused about the picture before they realized the mirrorpad must be facing a wall or something. Someone snickered that even the perfectionist Blondie made a mistake. Then they actually got to listen to the words the girls were saying.

Relieved voice of Cedar. “I met Kitty Cheshire and she told me that she needed help with something but she didn’t say what does she need and took me to the room of Apple and Raven. There was the Reader, Akasha, and it looked as if she waited for Kitty. She told me that Cerise’s father is Wolf. The Badwolf that was the villain to her mom and who is working here at Ever After High as a teacher right now. She told me she saw them talking to each other which is weird. Normally Red Riding Hood would be afraid of wolves but she had no reason to be scared if it was her father. I was shocked. And confused. And afraid I would tell this secret to wrong ears. You know how bad I’m with keeping secrets. So I closed myself in my room so I wouldn’t tell it to anyone but I got thirsty and I thought that it would be best if I said it straight to Mr. Badwolf. But I met you two. But everything is going to be alright now,” the puppet girl sighed, the burden of the last hours has finally fallen of her shoulders.

The chat has turned to something mundane and uninteresting but nobody listened anymore, everyone tried to digest the news they have just heard. Soon everybody who wasn’t in class will be messaging and calling their relatives and friends across the Land of Ever After and the rest of the fairy tale dimension. 

One of the pillars of fairy tale society has crumbled down. Is it going to be the end of a tale that’s as old as time? One thing was clear, everyone will form an opinion about this, not necessarily a positive one, and to form an opinion they will need to hear what the authorities have to say about this.   
.   
ᴥ

He heard the beeping of incoming notification but he was busy analyzing possible spells and restrictions that could be working against Akasha’s attempts to get to the real world so he decided to check the student broadcast later. Therefore he was surprised when the polite and orderly miss Trollsworth has burst into his office suddenly. She held a phone in her warty hand. “Sir, it’s an emergency.”

“Take the video down. Immediately. Don’t let anyone in. Don’t talk to anyone. The only people who will be let in is Badwolf and his family. Official standpoint will be issued later today.” 

ᴥ 

Her Majesty Miss White Queen was a strict teacher but even she has allowed using electronics when doing research on papers. And because a few second graders were followers of certain golden curled broadcaster soon beeping ensued. 

“That’s notification that new Blondie’s broadcast is out. But she, too, is supposed to be working on Kingdom management project,” wondered Dexter. He was even more bewildered than most because it was often he who helped Blondie record the news by carrying her mirrorpad and other gadgets. 

“Off with her head,” grumbled Lizzie disgruntled that a beeping noise is distracting her when she’s working. “It must be something really important when she can’t wait until the end of the lesson to tell us,” Darling leaned to her brother to take a look at the video. “Guys. I think you should see this,” said the princess tensely.

Everyone gathered around the twins. And like the rest of the audience, this group too fell into shocked silence. The first to break it was Hopper: “Badwolf and Little Red?! They have a daughter?” “At least you see that there’s always hope that you will find a girl, too, toad,” snickered Jonathan Lionheart. “That woman fell in love with the guy that threatened to eat her? Now that’s pretty hextreme. Respect,” Briar admired the roughness of the romance.

“Raven, what’s wrong with you?” The dark princess didn’t hear her concerned school mates. She was breathing heavily a few tiny purple flames burning on her shoulders and head. Then the witch ran out of the door as fast as her heels allowed. Raven had a bad feeling some catastrophe will befall her wolfish friend and she was determined to prevent it.

White Queen tried to stop her: “Miss Queen, the lesson isn’t over yet!” But to no avail. Shortly after Apple, the stellar student, left the class as well but before that she curtsied to the teacher: “Please excuse me, Your Majesty, as the student council president I have to follow her and make sure she doesn’t make anything hasty.” The White Queen snorted at the fact Apple didn’t use her proper full title but let the princess go. 

ᴥ

“Well, that was a spellbomb,” remarked Baba Yaga dryly as she looked up from Jack B. Nimble’s mirrorpad. Mr Nimble was an avid watcher of all things gossip and tall tales so naturally he was one of Blondie’s subscribers. They were in the teachers’ lounge room when they saw the revelation. 

Mr. Bad Wolf came in. He was in his furrier form but still able to walk upright. Baba Yaga moved the mirropad closer to him: “You should see this.” Normally Badwolf wasn’t interested in Blondie’s gossip but only a complete fool would take Yaga’s stare and her words lightly. He took the device in his large hands. When the video finished he howled from frustration, anger and fear. 

“Go see Grimm,” Baba Yaga talked again. “But…” “Even if he punishes you, it’s better to face him then a furious mob.” Badwolf tucked his tail between his legs and left the room. “What are we going to do,” asked Nimble. “We are going to mind our own business. Whatever the outcome of this we will be notified soon enough,” answered Yaga and turned to her own work. 

ᴥ

Akasha lay in bed. After some time of cramming magic she was attacked by a powerful headache. Unable to think of anything she just lay on Raven’s bed and hoped the pain would weaken soon. When she got better she wasn’t sure what to do next. She was never to the infirmary and the Baba Yaga’s hut was always on the move so she didn’t know where to go.

So Akasha went to castleteria because when you have no idea what to do, grab a snack, it won’t hurt. There she saw students bent over their phones and computers. A fairy has flown to the little girl: “You’re the Akasha, right? Is it true?” “What?” “That Cerise’s dad isn’t human.” “How do you know?” “Ah, someone has just broadcasted a video around the school,” the fairy hand waved it. “And they mentioned your name. So have you seen them in the woods or not?” “Why is it so important anyway?” “Because they went against destiny. Little Reds and wolves are enemies but they went and had a child. They are in big trouble if what the video said is truth.” “What kind of trouble?” The fairy scowled and shrugged: “Dunno. Maybe Badwolf will get kicked out and Cerise expelled. Maybe they all will be stripped of their property and banished to Grimm-knows-where.” The fairy laughed suddenly and yelled at a ballerina princess: “Hey Duchess, if Cerise gets kicked out, you may try to get her destiny. That one ends with the heroine surviving and apparently you get a true love as well.” 

Akasha didn’t know if she could trust that butterfly winged cheerleader but right now it was the only source of information. “Yes, I saw them. Hey you, why can’t Cerise stay at school?” “Who has heard of a Little Red Hood being a part wolf, that’s against the story. At the very least she would be expected to swallow herself.” “Don’t the stories change?” The fairy sneered: “Around here? You don’t know much do you. But you’re a Reader so I suppose it’s understandable. Wait a sec,” the fairy flitted her wings excited, “you told Cedar about Cerise and Badwolf, the one made of wood, didn’t you?” “Yes, Kitty said we can trust her.” Faybelle laughed hysterically: “This is golden. Cedar is cursed to blurt out whatever she thinks and knows. Telling her any secret is like giving Sparrow Hood keys to the treasury, that’s a filthy thief by the way. I wish I would have thought of doing something like that. My villainous reputation would soar to the sky,” and with those words she flew towards the ceiling and away. 

In that moment the school radio has spoken up: “Headmaster Grimm requests the presence of Miss Cerise Hood. I repeat. Miss Hood is to come to the Office of the headmaster immediately.” 

Oops-Loups, so much for trying to collect information in a non-intrusive way. For a dream about fairy tales the story has just gotten a hell of a lot more dramatic. And it was partly her own fault. Akasha hoped there’s a way how to undo the damage although she wasn’t sure she will be able to succeed. This is supposed to be her fantasy so why does she feel as if she’s losing control of what’s happening? 

ᴥ

The situation was so perfectly fairy tale like. An innocent person needs to confess badly. So after being aided by some wise woman or man the dangerous secret is told to a tree or a shrub and later the wood is made into an instrument that sings out whatever it was told. The exception being the living wood itself needed to confess the secret to someone. But even though the person in need could reach her willow, the secret was let out quicker than anyone anticipated. And it spread like wildfire.


	19. Day 8 3/3 - The Trial

Headmaster Grimm was pacing in his office. He was musing about today’s happening and how it will shake the whole realm and about the consequences that will keep showing up years from now. So it was out. Soon the whole Land of Ever After will know that Cerise Hood is Badwolf’s secret daughter (he ordered the video being taken down from net but he wasn’t so nave as to believe someone hasn’t recorded it and won’t share it per mirrormail and other message systems) and they will demand an explanation of him. 

Here and there he caught a hint that something was different. Coach Gingerman praising the hooded girl’s strength and speed, her summoning a wolf cub as pet, her love for meat – the rawer the better – and the pigs were scared of her. All this pointed to one conclusion: Cerise was Bad Wolf’s daughter. A wolfish Red Riding Hood.

He suspected as much for some time but he had to make sure his instincts weren’t wrong. It was a delicate matter capable of sending the whole realm into an uproar and Badwolf belonged to one of his most trusted employees, he wouldn’t hesitate to call him a friend but that was before the wolf man has lied to him. That’s why he had gone to the real world for a few days to investigate the whole matter. What he found proved his suspicion but it didn’t ease his mind. 

It meant that the realm was changing way faster than he nor his brother have anticipated. The Authors and Readers will sense these changes and use them unknowingly altering the realm where the Characters live even more. Only the spells woven into the Storybook of Legends could have stopped the changes. But the real Storybook is lost and has gone lost when the previous generation was attending high school that meant more than fifteen years of uncontrolled storyworld development.

What’s more, Akasha played a part in this drama. Ironically enough, as he tried to keep her from the Royal and Rebel drama entirely yet the girl still managed to open the djinn’s bottle. Now it was out and it would take massive memory altering spells to push it back where it was before. 

His secretary opened the door slightly: “Sir, Mr. Badwolf and Cerise Hood have arrived.” “Let them in and set up a mirrorconference with Mrs. Hood.” “Yes, sir.”

Steel grey clouds covered the sky. 

ᴥ

Raven’s body and head burned. Partly because of the fact she was running, partly because she was so mad she felt as if her blood was boiling in her veins and lastly her personal magic manifested as purple flames that burned just as brightly and hotly as other flames.

The witch princess didn’t know with whom to be angry the most. Akasha, Kitty or Blondie? They all were so stupid. As if they didn’t have a brain at all. How could they have done something as underhanded as this?!

There was one more culprit but to be fair, Cedar had probably no choice. That wooden girl has talked about the truth curse with Raven and how frustrating and lonely her life sometimes is. She must feel so guilty right now. That thought made Raven even angrier. 

With a roommate like this, it was only a matter of time something gets out but to think someone would go out of their way to make someone’s life harder… Hadn’t they realized how dangerous for Cerise it is to come out? A few months ago Raven witnessed Cerise telling her secret to the Hood community and she was almost banished from her own home village. If that is how her extended family and lifetime neighbors reacted what will the people in the center of the fairytale realm do? Put her in prison? As hot as Raven felt, she still shivered fearing the worst. That’s why she has to stand up for her friend. 

As she neared the door to the principal’s office she realized with whom she is definitely angry the most. She was furious at Headmaster Grimm and this stupidity surrounding the idea of destiny. Why does everyone and their grandma insist on following the fairy tale destiny when it obviously hurt so many people? Again Raven wished for a world where people were free to choose their roles and write whatever stories they liked. 

ᴥ

Akasha appeared in the middle of the anteroom. Mrs. Trollsworth busied herself with some papers and a mirrorpad. When everything was ready, she put it in a pile and was about to set foot in Grimm’s office she peered at Akasha. “Anybody who isn’t from Badwolf’s and Red Hood’s family is forbidden to enter. Headmaster Grimm’s orders,” said the short troll woman and adjusted her glasses. The girl didn’t avert her eyes.

“I’m not a student of this school, the Headmaster has no power over me.” She said it so calmly and self-assuredly that Mrs. Trollsworth was stunned for few seconds. Those were not a child’s words. She began to understand why her boss kept an eye on this girl. “I’m going to lock the door but I know you are able to teleport. Do it on your own responsibility though,” said the assistant and indeed locked the door. 

Akasha was prepared to skip in Grimm’s office when at that moment Raven arrived. “Raven, what is going on? This is a fairy tale world. True love and all that jazz, no? So why is everyone so shocked the wolf and Red Hood, you know… He didn’t rape her when she was a little girl or did he?” The girl looked bewildered. Raven fought an urge to slap her but she still managed to utter an answer: “It’s still the same idiotic thing over and over again! They went against destiny. The Bad wolf is supposed to eat the Little red riding hood until the hunter comes and puts stones in his stomach! But they got married and now everyone is going to treat them like criminals because of you!”  
The dark princess trembled from fury, her cheeks flushed purple due to her strong emotions and magic energy. 

“How was I supposed to know it’s that serious?” Akasha asked feeling terrified she really broke something but then she remembered that she’s still dreaming. This is not real. “I have got good news for you. It’s not over yet,” she smiled feisty at Raven but the young witch was too mad to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Akasha’s mood dropped down a notch: “Let me make this right. I may succeed in persuading Grimm into forgiving them.”

“No, I don’t trust you anymore.” The dark princess made a step to the door. “The door is locked, you won’t get in without my help,” muttered Akasha looking at the floor. Raven shook the doorknob violently but it didn’t budge. “See? Either we enter together or you stay outside,” said the reader with a shrug of a shoulder. Raven tried to unlock the door with a magic blast but the door protecting spells were too strong for the future evil queen’s wrath and lack of skill. The witch princess finally saw that if she stays mad at Akasha it might hinder her plan at helping her hood wearing friend. 

“Wait for me, I’m coming too,” it was Apple who was trying to catch enough breath to talk. Raven turned to her friend and roommate, the flames of intense anger still sizzled around her body: “Apple, I know you’re a Royal through and through but this is a matter of life and death. You weren’t there in Hood Valley on Yester Day, you haven’t seen how hateful her own family looked at Cerise. But she stood up to them and protected me so the mob wouldn’t drown me in a river. I have to rescue her.”

Apple took one of Raven’s hands and covered it with both her palms. Then she gazed into Raven’s eyes deeply: “I’m a Royal but I’m also the School President. Whatever happens to a student concerns me as well. Remember how we joined forces to help Maddie.” Raven looked in the eyes of the Fairest one and she remembered. Her flames went out with a quiet ‘shh’. “We’ve done it once, we will do it again,” smiled Apple warmly her cheeks still red from the running. “We will save Cerise,” said Raven determined. 

Akasha tilted her head as she witnessed the conversation. Those two are some very nice friends, she wished she could dream about them again one day. 

“I’m sorry I have caused your friend trouble but if we want to bail her out of it, we better hurry,” the child reader reminded the pressing matter. She took Raven’s and Apple’s hand into her own, though Raven’s was somewhat tense. “Let’s all enter together.”

ᴥ

Only certain people were allowed to enter the room but due to the tension in the air it still felt uncomfortably crowded. Milton Grimm’s office was large but right now he gave off the feeling of filling half of the room with his presence alone. His bright green eyes managed to look dark. The lifeless eyes of the animal heads hanging on the wall seemed to judge the guilty party too. 

Mrs. Red Hood was notified and her worried pale face was now looking anxiously at her husband and daughter from mirrorpad Mrs. Trollsworth was holding: “I’m sorry we’ve done this to you.” The previous Little Red Riding Hood seemed on the verge of tears. “Don’t worry, mom, everything will be alright,” said Cerise reassuringly although she herself was in need of a pep talk. “You’re so brave,” smiled Red weakly. 

Like a few times before suddenly in the middle of the office stood a red haired girl, this time in the company of two princesses. One fair and blond shooting apologizing but reassuring smiles, the other was of dark hair and grim expression. “Raven? Apple?” Cerise burst out feeling confused but a little easier at heart, too, admittedly. Whom their out of nowhere appearance hadn’t make happy was the Headmaster Grimm: “I insist you three leave this room immediately. 

But Akasha was determined to stand her ground: “We’re not going anywhere. If you’re going to held a trial over the fate of Cerise and her family you have to hear me out as well. The word of a Reader is just as important as yours or theirs.” Everyone was silent for a moment. Grimm scowled at the little Quill. It wasn’t a childish temper tantrum, she meant it. That girl has yet again reminded him of another person who stood up to him. He clenched his jaw. He took a deep breath. “Fine, you may stay as long as you talk only when you are asked.” 

That wasn’t exactly what Akasha was aiming for but it was a minor victory nonetheless. Hopefully with small steps like this one she can get the family off the hook. 

Then it began. Grimm has listened to Red’s and Badwolf’s version of how they met at the school and had a few dates but it never developed into anything serious so they have shrugged it off as puppy love and had some other short lived relationships that didn’t work out due to youth, inexperience and big personality contrasts. Then one day Red went to visit her grandmother and she knew. They both had known something was different that day. Their tale has started. But when they met on the meadow where the wolf is supposed to lead the little riding hood off the path, they both looked at each other and suddenly their forgot about the tale altogether. At first there were some awkward ‘Hi, how are yous’ and catching up on the old days like it was some non fairy talish ten-years-after-graduation-meeting but inch by inch they relaxed and soon they found themselves plucking flowers together and flirting as if they were once again teenagers in Ever After High and not adults with responsibility towards a story. Until they both remembered who they are and what they are supposed to do. Then it got awkward again but they still parted. He took a short cut to grandma’s cottage while she wandered through the woods for a while to give him enough time. 

As Red walked among the trees she wished she hadn’t had to kill wolf. Her wolf. She felt it – the feeling, those thoughts – were bad and right at the same time. But how to do it? They are in the middle of the story after all. The ending is given. Or is it?   
When she was younger and more impish she learned how to make smoke bombs. She hadn’t used one in months, last time she scared some rats who were after a pie she baked, but there could have been some hidden in her grandmother’s tool hut. There really were last two. She put them in her basket and walked into the cottage. 

Then it was the same as Raven heard on the Yester day. Red entered the small house and noticed the big wolfman with her granny’s cap on his head laying in the bed his feet stucking out of the blanket because he was too tall and burly for a frail old lady bed. Red tried to suppress her giggles. He looked sheepishly, it was evident he himself felt embarrassed by his garment. Then they tried to carry the famous conversation brought into the script by their predecessors. But the ridiculous situation got the better of them and half of the quotes drowned in muffled laughter. Among the chuckles Badwolf managed to tell Red that her grandma is in the closet, he couldn’t hurt someone from her family. She in return told him about the smoke bombs and that he should flee before the hunter comes. So they formed a plan.

The hunter came and through the window he saw how the Badwolf turned very wolfy slowly walked up to Red riding hood. The beast showed its fangs and growled like a hellhound, it was ready to jump and tear the maiden’s flesh. The young woman with fear in her eyes clutched her basket as if it was a shield. The hunter let out a deep battle cry and crashed through the door. But Red had already dropped the smoke bombs and the room was quickly filing up with tear inducing smoke. In the commotion Badwolf has fled with the basket. Red was worried he wouldn’t have enough to eat in the wilderness. This is how the story went on. But more importantly this is how the love has started.

Then both of the married couple ended their testimony with description of how they got secretly married in Wonderland before the Evil Queen threw the world into decay. Cerise has put her hood off to show her ears and talked briefly about her getting along with wolves and even dogs but that the little animals are afraid of her and how the family in the valley learned of her mixed heritage. Raven confirmed it to be truth. 

“What about Ramona, you told me she’s your daughter. Who is her mother? To what extent are the girls blood related?” Grimm looked first at Badwolf, then at Red. Apple and Raven gasped loudly. “If she’s Cerise’s sister-,” began Raven but faltered. “That would mean that Ramona has to eat a member of her own family! That’s awful!” cried out the fair princess. Grimm ignored this slip of emotions. Knowing the cat was out of the bag and it can’t get any worse, Badwolf openly told him: “She’s not my daughter nor is she Red’s daughter. She and her mother agreed to pretend to be my family in exchange for some financial support. Ramona’s father is a lone wolf that cares neither for the pack nor his offspring.” 

Grimm sighed. A simple trick that fooled the whole fairy tale world. Quite a few talers were convinced that Cerise’s father is Mr. Huntsman who abandoned his lover while pregnant with his child for another woman. The poor man was in his life subjected to some withering stares by a number of woman who disapproved of him leaving Red a single mother. Little did they know that they were mistaken. Fortunately the Huntsman family lived secluded in a forest and so they weren’t bothered too much by the rumors. Grimm aimed his pointed look at the youngest person in the room. Akasha. “What is the Reader’s opinion?”

The little girl tried to look as confident as she could in a fake it till you make it fashion and began her speech: “You guys are really set on tradition, right? Then that’s it. The couple hasn’t gone against the works of storytelling tradition in general nor against that one tale in particular. I can prove it,” she squared her shoulders.

“Sure, they didn’t follow the fairy tale to a t but they fulfilled the basic requirements. The first Little Red Riding Hood comes from Charles Perrault. It’s about dangers a woman has to face on her journey from childhood and adolescence to maturity. The original wolf is the horny male about to seduce or worse - rape - the naïve heroine.

The Red Hood got indeed seduced, and as her mind was filled with flirting she forgot about her family but everything ended the right way because she remembered in time that because of a handsome guy she shouldn’t forget the wellbeing of her grandmother. It’s all in the symbolism, see?” She hoped they really do see what she means. Akasha herself was amazed she managed to dig that out of her memory. Meanwhile Raven and Apple were blushing as Akasha was talking about all the seducing. 

When no one brought up any objections, the reader girl continued: “There’s more. There are even old versions where the wolf orders the Little Red to go to bed with him. Which Mrs. Red did, just not the day Mr. Badwolf was in her granny’s bed. But they had to be in bed…eventually…together…to make Cerise,” the girl blushed unsure where to go next with her plea. 

“Alright. That’s quite enough,” Grimm held up a hand. Everyone was nervous but they managed to be quiet and just stared at the headmaster. Milton Grimm straightened himself even more and spoke up in a regal manner “After careful consideration I declare the here present Mrs. Red Hood and Mr. Badwolf not guilty.”

“But,” Raven cried out desperately. Then she stopped herself: “Wait…not guilty?” She looked at Apple but the princess could only shrug in response. “Does that mean my parents won’t be punished,” asked Cerise with a hint of hope in her voice. 

Grimm nodded and spoke slowly so the shocked minds would take it in: “Your parents are innocent, miss Hood. Like Akasha said, the relationship between them is indeed similar to some older versions, thankfully in a much more docile manner.” Badwolf chuckled. The atmosphere became slightly more relaxed as everyone felt their worries being lifted by the declaration of innocence. 

Milton turned to Badwolf: “But that’s not all. They didn’t go off script, their tale has changed. Since I myself suspected that Cerise is your daughter I’ve visited the real world and I saw something that has convinced me. There is a story where the Bad wolf and the Red Riding Hood fell in love.“ Almost everyone in the room lost control of their own lower jaw. 

Grimm continued unfazed: „Speaking strictly technically, the story belongs to a different genre but since it’s undoubtly inspired by the Little Red Hood fairy tale so the story chose you and your wife to act it out.“

Red had still one thing on her mind: „Then what is Cerise’s destiny?“ Grimm faced the worried mother: „That I don’t know for sure. But judging from previous experiences, the readers will want to return to the original, or in this case, more well-known version therefore I would advise your daughter to study to become the next Red Hood. One that doesn’t fall in love with her antagonist.“ 

The metaphorical storm has calmed down. The family felt relief for now and was enjoying the peace in the form of father-daughter embrace, Cerise’s mom has sent her darlings airy kisses from the mirrorpad display. Now that the worst has passed Raven saw her chance and had to leap for it: “Their story was changed in the realm of readers, true? Then perhaps my story-“ “No,” Grimm shook his head resolutely knowing full well what she wants to achieve. “Are you sure?” “Yes. Snow White still requires her evil queen that must at one point poison her.” Akasha put a hand on the sorceress’s shoulder: “It’s true. I’m really sorry.” The older girl gave her a smile, although a rather sad one: “Don’t be, it’s not your fault.”

Miss Trollsworth and the princesses left. Cerise was about to go, too, but waited for her father but the wolf man told her: “Cerise, go now. I have to talk with headmaster Grimm privately. His daughter nodded and vanished in shadows.

As the crowd left the office Milton turned to Badwolf. „We do our best, huh?“ said Milton sourly. The wolf man didn’t flinch but he kept his gaze lowered. Grimm was referring to one little talk the two had. That day Badwolf assured him that the teachers are doing their best at teaching the next generation the values of traditional tales. The wolf lied. On more occasions than one.

It wasn’t the mere fact that General villainy is taught by someone who hasn’t done any true villainy which surely will be frowned upon by the media and mentioned in parent calls but for Grimm it was also personal. He considered Tala Wolf one of his friends. When he visited Tala’s family it wasn’t just a future employer and employee lunch. It was proud teacher visiting a student who used to be a brash youth but who turned to be a mature adult. It was a friend meeting a friend. That’s what Grimm believed. That’s why he couldn’t help but feel hurt about the fact that Badwolf lied to him. It was understandable that they hid their relationship from the public, or even their extended families but they should have told him. 

„If you told me about you and Red sooner, all this could’ve been avoided. No hiding, no angry mobs, Cerise would be officially acknowledged as the next Red Riding Hood despite her unusual family situation. You know that my word has power.“ The wolf man bared one of his fangs for a moment before he spoke: „Yes, that’s the problem. You‘re powerful. What if you said that Cerise is a freak, a breach in your perfect world? Would you let her attend this school or would you put her in a cage and show her as a monster at the fair?” “You were afraid of me,” said Milton bitterly. 

The wolf snarled: „I was afraid, yes, I admit it, the big bad terrible wolf was afraid! I was afraid you would hurt my family.“ This time the wolf man straightened and looked Milton right into his eyes. He wasn’t a little pupil anymore, he was an adult man determined to protect his loved ones. 

The men stood against each other. Silent, tense and hard-hearted. “Why?” Milton finally broke the irritating silence. Tala looked at the pedestal with the famed book: „I watched you growing more and more obsessed with the idea of destiny and I couldn’t bear the thought that someone would harm my little cub. My family means more to me than your rules or everyone else’s tradition. Maybe that’s the wicked selfishness in me,” he finished equally as sourly as his mentor and turned to leave. 

Before he stepped through the door he said his last words: “Y’know, I wouldn’t wonder if Giles had left because he was fed up with the way you led the school.” Then the Character formerly known as Tala, now Badwolf closed the door with an earth shattering thud.

Milton clenched his teeth and held onto the edge of his writing desk till his palms were sore from clutching the hard wood. 

ᴥ

Akasha mused about the whole trial. This was so unlike any other dream she has had so far.   
They sure took their roles seriously. It’s nice to have a job you dedicate yourself to but to form a lynching mob when you find out that someone fell in love and has a child that’s taking it too far. At least her knowledge proved to be useful and no one got hurt in the end.   
Thought the little Quill. She wanted to be near someone she knows but with her pupil friends feeling hurt and her mentors not responding to her calls she had only one option.

She was back in headmaster’s office. 

ᴥ

A Quill can feel when another Quill approaches but there hasn’t been one that was born with the ability to distinguish between single persons. 

For the second time in a week Milton mistook Akasha’s aura for Giles’. He spun full of disbelief expecting his brother. But he saw Akasha instead.

The girl was confused by the headmaster’s bewildered look and took it as his disapproval with her interrupting his thinking. “I didn’t know where else to go,” she looked apologetically. “I’m sorry I caused trouble,” she said vaguely.

Grimm’s frown softened. “It wasn’t your fault. Tala, Mr. Badwolf should have told me a long time ago. We are, ahem, we were friends.” After a while Akasha spoke up: „I too lost my best friend. She died of cancer,“ she paused to swallow a big lump that began forming in her throat. „She had to lie in bed often so we used to tell each other stories. She wished to become a writer one day. I used to be lonely since I never had many friends until I met Karen. Then I lost her and I was lonely again.”

He looked at her. She was a mischief maker and a mighty being growing into her powers but right now she was also a lost child in a foreign place. „Come here,“ he called out to her. She came to him and he put a hand over her shoulders. “Shush, you’ve still got your home. Soon you will see your parents and make new friends.” “If you think so,” said the girl wearily. He ruffled her red hair. It was few shades brighter than Bea’s but the trial and the family talk woke the old questions inside his mind nonetheless. What kind of life he would lead with his lover still alive, still around? Can Quills conceive an offspring and if yes, what would their child be like?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: The Grimm Brothers noticed the true Storybook vanished, they just weren’t able to retrieve it and underestimated the need for a quick replacement so the fake was altered but it doesn’t have the same might and spell potency as the original Storybook of Legends. Meaning the tales are more sensitive to the outside influence of authors of modern retellings.
> 
> The arguments Akasha says are all true. The fairy tales don’t have just one version, never had. In fact there were so many facets of one tale as there were storytellers throughout history. Some versions are nationalistic, some are didactic, some are plain escape fantasy. The tale Akasha mentions is Grandmother’s tale. It is a version of the Little Red Riding Hood but doesn’t appear in Perrault’s nor brothers Grimms’ books. Interpretating the red hood or shawl as a sign for menses is a recurring theme. 
> 
> Actually Grimm talks about two stories. During his stay in the reality he first learned about the newer paranormal romance movie Red Riding Hood. Later he came to contact with the short story The Company of Wolves* by Angela Carter (the short story revisits the adult aspects of the folk tales as it features the sexual themes).
> 
> In this short story the wolfman kills the grandmother, The Red Hood (a young woman) casts away her fear and embraces her sexuality and lays with the wolf in bed. Taming him with the power of her own inner beast. None of the versions is a proper child friendly fairy tale anymore therefore he mentions the changing of the genre. 
> 
> Tala is a name used in more cultures but the Native American meaning is wolf. 
> 
> *This is not the whole short story but large parts of it with commentary by literary critics.  
> http://www.slaphappylarry.com/short-story-study-the-company-of-wolves-by-angela-carter/
> 
> The Author’s notes alone take almost an entire page. 64 pages in total, people. That’s a serious accomplishment for me because I write mostly short texts and longer works are hard for me to finish.


	20. Memory 8

I don’t remember when was the time I noticed that my family was different. Probably in kindergarten when I wondered that someone’s mother or father looked so old. Some kids laughed before they explained to me that there are so called grandparents. Old people who belong to the family because they are mother and father of your mother and father. I’ve never seen my grandparents, not to mention any uncle nor aunt whose existence I discovered later, too. 

This required further examination so I turned to the most reliable source of information I knew at that time. My parents. They told me that mother’s parents are dead. I understood it but I still had to know if father has any parents of his own? (If you’re wondering that I knew the concept of death sooner than the concept of grandparents, well, I told you I was different.) He was reluctant to tell me at first, which I didn’t notice being small and naïve as I was, but then he gave in. Yes, the paternal grandfather and grandmother are still alive. Then I asked if we will ever visit them. Dad said yes, when I’m older. Then I got distracted by a toy or a cartoon or a snack so I didn’t press further. 

For some time anyway. Later I asked why doesn’t grandpa come to us? He is ill. He is busy. He travels around the world. Those were the answers I got, all were excuses, white lies, but I didn’t know it back then. Thanks to the excuses mom and dad told me I began to make stories about my grandparents that they will later tell me when I’ll finally see them with my own eyes. Sometimes I imagined those two were walking through jungle swinging from tree to tree with a family of orangutans or that they dived into a sea to discover a giant oyster with a pearl the size of a human head inside it. I wondered how it is to go on such superb adventures. Above all, however, I wondered what it feels like to have a big family. 

For example when mom or dad were too busy or tired from work to go with me to park or zoo I wished I had a grandparent who would take me there. Or one that would take their time to come to my birthday parties. When I did express my wish about grandparents on my birthday to mom and dad, all I got was a phone call from my grandmother instead. That day I battled a mix of emotions, joy that I’ve heard my granny’s real voice and disappointment because they haven’t come to tell me they loved me in person. 

When I was small and my parents couldn’t be around there was usually one English major student or lab assistant to escort me home from school. Some I liked like Lindsay who taught me riddles and introduced me to funny poems like limericks, some weren’t very amusing partner’s for an elementary school kid with head full of games like George, who spent the babysitting time hitting on every girl we met or arguing with his girlfriend over the cell phone. Usually he dated a new one girl every month. 

One day I told George I need to get something for a school project and since he got paid for his time with me he made an annoyed face but had to go with me. In reality I planned to trick him because since my parents didn’t want to take me to see the rest of the family, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I found dad’s address book and took my allowance. I took my temporary guardian to three bookshops and pretended the book I’m looking for isn’t there, George being George he didn’t bother check for himself and begrudgingly let himself be dragged from place to place. The fourth bookshop was according to the address book very close to where my grandparents were supposed to live. I dove into the shop while keeping an eye on Georgie, soon my male nanny began flirting with the cashier. I took the opportunity and sneaked off to where the house of my dad’s parents was. 

It was a small, cozy looking house. The kind you see in children books. With walls made of red bricks, a wooden bench on the porch, paper windmill stuck among flower patches and rose bush and there is always at least one cat drinking milk from a bowl or sunbathing on the window. 

Mr and Mrs Tolkien was written on the letter-box, I smiled. I’ve found them. Finally my wish will come true. I couldn’t wait to see them, to hear them telling me about old times. Going with them to park together or to the cinema. 

Full of excitement I rang a bell and waited for someone to open the door. Luckily I didn’t have to wait long. There she was: one nice if shy looking aging lady in old fashioned floral dress. The sight of me shocked the wits out of her. She stood there staring at me unable to move nor talk for a while. “Hello, grandmother,” I said always mindful of being polite. “Hello dear,” she breathed out drinking me up with her sad kind eyes. 

“Who is this?” A gruff man’s voice yelled from inside of the house. That nudged her to some action. “Just a tourist, dear, asking for directions,” called my granny to the owner of the voice. Her wrinkled face turned back to me and whispered hurriedly: “You shouldn’t be here. Where are your parents? You have to return to them immediately. You mustn’t stay here. Do you understand?” No, I didn’t. They are my grandparents, aren’t they? What about baking pies with grandma and walking in the forest with grandpa? Am I not allowed to have fun like other children? Why does my grandmother look afraid of something?

The man in the house was quiet for a while but then his curiosity grew stronger and he got up and walked to the door. My dad’s father was gaunt, grumpy looking red head and since my dad was also slim and had red hair I recognized him quickly. “Have a nice day, grandfather,” I greeted him with a trusting smile.   
“What’s this kid do-“ then it dawned on him “You’re that urchin that popped out of that cunt my son wed, right?”

“Don’t talk like this with the girl, it’s our granddaughter,” protested my grandmother meekly. “I’m going to fucking talk as I please, woman,” he snarled at her. Then he turned to me with disgust and sneered at me: “Go away, brat.”

I stood there frozen. This man was supposed to be my grandfather? The one to tell me bedtime stories and take me to theme parks? 

“Can’t you hear? I said, get lost, scum,” he spit at the ground before shoving his wife and locking the door leaving me out of his house. His world. His heart. 

And I don’t know what broke mine more. Grandfather’s hateful words or grandmother’s inability to defend me. “It’s not like I need anyone,” I muttered as I picked up a stone that I threw at their window yelling “Goodbye!” as I managed to break a flower pot in the process. 

I ran away back to the bookshop where I left my babysitter. Right on time. George was already freaking out: “Where have you gone? Oh man, you can’t get lost like that, what would your parents say to me. Ok, I tell you what we’ll do, I’ll buy you an ice cream and this will stay our secret. Ok? Great.” I absentmindedly nodded to his speech but I didn’t really listen. I got that George wasn’t happy but his words were insignificant comparing to the hits dealt by my grandfather.

I went along and deliberately asking for an outrageous number of ice cream scoops hoping to get a brain freeze so I’d stop thinking about what a disappointment meeting my grandparents turned out to be or to get heart freeze to at least stop caring. Neither happened. 

I haven’t told my parents about how I went to see my grandparents that evening. The first person I’ve ever told it to was Karen.


End file.
